


Recipe for Love

by baeconandeggs, drtychnbk



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Adoption, Fluff, Happy Ending, Kid Fic, M/M, Pining, Romance, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-13
Updated: 2020-05-13
Packaged: 2021-03-03 04:02:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 42,324
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24168532
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/baeconandeggs/pseuds/baeconandeggs, https://archiveofourown.org/users/drtychnbk/pseuds/drtychnbk
Summary: Life hadn’t been generous enough to grant Baekhyun his three biggest wishes: finding the love of his life, marrying young and raising a family.It had only granted him one: Bom.But could a second one be about to come true?
Relationships: Byun Baekhyun/Park Chanyeol, Kim Jongin | Kai/Oh Sehun
Comments: 89
Kudos: 475
Collections: BAE2020





	1. Prologue: Unconditional Love

**Author's Note:**

> **Prompt:** BAE116  
>  **Disclaimer: baeconandeggs/the mods is/are not the author/s of this story. Authors will be credited and tagged after reveals.** The celebrities' names/images are merely borrowed and do not represent who the celebrities are in real life. No offense is intended towards them, their families or friends. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. No money is being made from this fictional work. No copyright infringement is intended.
> 
> **Author's Note:** Hi y’all! So to start off, I’m sorry bc this is probably not entirely what the prompter had in mind, but this is where my brain took me and so I hope you will still enjoy it.  
> It’s a big ball of fluff with some pining related angst and then more fluff. I couldn’t fulfill the ‘mature’ rating part of the prompt unfortunately, but apart from that it should have everything this prompt hoped for!  
> Apologies aside, I really like how soft this turned out to be and I hope anyone reading it will get to be on cloud 9 for a little while, sighing and dreaming of finding someone as amazing as the Chanyeol I created.  
> With love, yours truly.

**Life hadn’t been generous enough to grant Baekhyun his three biggest wishes: finding the love of his life, marrying young and raising a family.**

**It had only granted him one: Bom.**

**She had come into his life three years earlier, a mere five months old when she had first been put into his arms, and she had changed everything.**

**Now, someone else would come into both their lives to change even more. Someone who had had almost everything Baekhyun had ever wanted and had left that all behind. All in search of something greater.**

**Could a three-year-old child be the answer?** **  
** ****  
  


\---

“ _ Congratulations, she’s yours. _ ” were the most beautiful words Baekhyun had ever heard in his twenty-nine years on this earth.

They had been uttered by a woman who he no longer remembered, her face having been eclipsed by another, with gorgeous chocolate brown eyes and long, dark eyelashes. By a button nose and small, pink lips…the image of a tiny, baby angel.

Bom had been a dream, both literally and figuratively. She had been his wish of despair, made upon a falling star. She was the objective of his entire life, and her arrival into his arms was one he had been blissfully anticipating for what felt like way too long.

Two years after he had first started the process of adopting a child, the day had finally arrived where he got to welcome the first addition to his newly-formed family. A baby girl he would get to call his daughter.

A five-month-old baby by the name of Bom, an orphan as a consequence of a tragic plane accident that killed both her parents and the only grandparents who had still been alive.

With no other next of kin to contact, she had been given up for adoption, and that’s how she had come to Byun Baekhyun; a single, twenty-nine-year old man living on the outskirts of Seoul, working as a publisher. 

A man who had long since given up on true love, but not on the dream of becoming a parent. It was the one loss he had not been able to accept, no matter how he had tried, and so at the age of twenty-seven he had taken steps to adopt. On his own. 

Deep down inside he knew he was meant to be a father, more so than he was meant to be a lover. He felt this utter need and responsibility to give meaning to a child’s life, and he wanted nothing more than to have someone that could receive all the love he had to give. 

It was why he had said ‘yes’ to Bom before even seeing her in the flesh. Mostly, he had agreed because of the way his heart had clenched at the harrowing story he had been told, but seeing her picture had made him even more certain of his choice. 

And that’s how he had ended up becoming a father. A single parent, raising a six-month old baby all by himself. His dream, sometimes a nightmare, finally a reality. 

From day one, Bom had been a happy baby that cackled and smiled, like an active young puppy who didn’t want to be held, but when she was asleep she was as soft as a cloud and as warm as the sun. Baekhyun had spent the first few days after taking her home just sitting around watching her.

Those had been both the happiest days of his life as well as his final moments of peace, he had come to realise soon after. Because raising a child all by yourself and working an almost-full-time job in order to provide for said child, was anything but easy. 

In that first year Baekhyun fell asleep on the couch instead of in his bed more often than not, feeling absolutely miserable whenever his alarm would ring after a meager handful of hours in between the crying and feeding of Bom. 

Still, he persisted, because in the end it was all worth it. 

From being there for her first babbling of something that sounded like ‘dada’, to witnessing her very first steps, he cherished every fragment of growth. He was there for her whenever she got hurt and needed a pair of arms to protectively wrap around her. He was there when she fell ill and needed a pair of watchful eyes, tracking her temperature and making sure she’d drink enough. 

Everything he did, he did for her or with her. She was his first thought in the morning, his last before going to bed, and Baekhyun felt eternally grateful to have her. Even if sometimes all he could do was cry over how hard it was. 

But although bills would pile up, although he’d be running around chronically fatigued and the month would be just a day or so too long to properly make ends meet, he could never feel regretful. Never. 

His daughter was the answer to every bit of pain. The one that made it both impossible to get up in the morning and at the same time the easiest task in the world. She  _ was  _ his world, it was her that he would rotate around day after day.

Or so he had done, until one day all of it was slowed down by a very tall, handsome man with a smile that could blind anyone within a mile radius. A stranger who literally bumped into them and then with that smile and just a few words, permanently altered their lives. Like a tiny rock that had been thrown into his orbit, crashing into him so unexpectedly and igniting a chain reaction, each more volatile than the one before. 

It started as nothing, but soon became everything. A bomb exploding in slow motion, and their meeting was the moment of nothingness right as it detonated, setting the world afire in bright yellows and fiery reds and scorching, soaring heat. 


	2. Before

_ Pit pat pit pat pit pat pit pat. _

The sounds poked at Baekhyun’s brain, breaking through the wonderfully warm dream that had been playing on the screen of his mind. He knew what the source was before he opened his eyes, every last bit of slumber fading when a heavy weight dropped down on top of him. 

“Dadaaaaaaaaa,” a small, shrieking voice yelled into his ear, making him squeeze his eyes back shut, tightly. Little hands were in his hair, ruffling it harshly as a body draped over him lazily, “school time.”

Baekhyun rolled over in bed, making the little monkey on top of his back fall off, and he laughed as she fearfully squawked. 

“Oh no, does my little baby have to go to school?” he asked as he turned himself over on the mattress and got his hands out from under the blankets in order to tickle his daughter as she idly lay beside him.

Her laughter quickly filled the room while her tiny body rolled back and forth in a fit of giggles as she tried to get away from his hands. “Dad, stoppp, stop,” she protested while pushing at the hand Baekhyun tried to get underneath her chin. 

His smile grew wider as he watched her teary eyes, her big grin so unlike his own yet feeling exactly like his. Not tied by blood but by habit, their lives entangled in a way that made them act similarly regardless of genetics. Which showed again in the way Bom took revenge on him.

She crawled backwards on the bed and started pulling at the blankets, trying to get them off Baekhyun’s body in the same way her father had done to her plenty of times when she hadn’t wanted to wake up in the morning. 

“Get up daddy!” Bom chanted again as she managed to get the blankets out of the way. Smart as she was, she jumped off the bed right after and back went the pitter-patter sounds down the hall, to her room. 

Her hair was a mess, meaning he’d have to comb it and braid it before leaving, and her pyjamas were front to back. He’d been too tired the night before to have noticed, apparently. 

She ran down the hallway stealing Baekhyun’s heart with her for the millionth time in her short life, and after another moment of pondering how lucky he was to have her, he got up to follow her. 

\---

Any feelings of luck had disappeared by the time they reached the school and found it was closed for the day due to a field trip day for all teachers. Apparently Baekhyun should have received an email about it the week prior, but somehow he had missed it entirely. 

Now, with absolutely no way to find a babysitter who could show up immediately, Baekhyun was left with no choice other than to bring Bom to work with him. 

When he told her so, her excitement made her jump up and down for a good minute, even when they started walking down the street, hand in hand. She was ecstatic, while Baekhyun wanted nothing more than to have the ground swallow him whole. 

It was less than ideal, bringing her into the office, although it was hardly the first time she had been there. It was just that the older she got, the more active she became as well. 

Rather than sleeping through most of the day, which she had done as a baby and had saved Baekhyun quite a bit of money, she was now old enough to distract him with all her singing and talking and jumping.

But still, no matter whether he’d be less productive or not, at least he’d get more work done at the office than he would at home. 

He had no choice but to get on with his day. People were expecting him, his boss was counting on him to put in the work, and even if he had to make it a late night again, he’d see it all done. Too much was at risk, too many possibilities he’d have to sacrifice. Taking her with him was his only option.

Soon there’d be an opportunity for promotion, and Baekhyun was dead set on being the person to claim that spot. He needed it, needed the higher pay to start saving up for his family. 

So there Bom sat, on the other side of his desk, on top of a pile of cushions helping her reach the tabletop. An empty drawing pad and pencils were in front of her, put there in the hopes of keeping her entertained. 

Baekhyun had told her to draw the cover of one of their newest books, about a princess and a dragon, and even though she sure wasn’t old enough yet to draw either, she took her task very seriously. 

So seriously that every tiny decision needed her father’s approval before she’d continue with her work of art. The smallest strokes of pencil, the most minor details… she’d ask his opinion each and every time.

“Daddy, black or brown?” was her next dilemma. She asked it while holding up two pencils above her head for him to see, one black and one brown, and Baekhyun smiled at the furrow in her eyebrows as she contemplated the answer herself. 

“Black,” he replied, feeling exhausted already after a mere two hours of work, but he could never take it out on Bom. He’d have his breakdown once she was sound asleep inside her bed, belly filled with food and not a worry in her perfect, carefree little head. 

For now, he’d let her do her thing, which was apparently asking as many trivial questions as she could think of, because he loved her. At the end of the day she was his number one priority. Always, no matter what. 

“Hmm,” Bom hummed thoughtfully as she looked up at both pencils, her frown a little deeper. Her hair bounced around her face as she shook it, and instead of the black pencil she took the brown one, “No, I think brown.” 

“I agree,” a new voice entered their conversation, and just like that the frown was wiped from Bom’s face, making way for the brightest smile Baekhyun had seen from her all day. Understandably so. 

“Uncle Jongin!” she squealed, dropping the brown pencil too now so she could turn around on her throne of pillows and face the man in question. 

Jongin, Baekhyun’s colleague and best friend, was standing in the doorway, his grin sly and knowing as he met her gaze. He was her favourite uncle, another constant throughout her life as well as Baekhyun’s, and so her father smiled along with her. 

“Hey, my little marshmallow,” Jongin greeted her as he walked up to the young girl, dropping a kiss to her head before getting his fingers in her hair, much to her dismay, “aren’t you supposed to be in school?”

Baekhyun sighed loud enough for his friend to hear it, and he watched Jongin lift an eyebrow in question while Bom made sounds of protest from where she was seated. 

“Field day I didn’t know about,” her father mumbled in explanation, his eyes on the paper as he felt embarrassed enough to not meet Jongin’s eyes. 

“Didn’t check your personal mail again, did you?” his friend replied knowingly, his hand still entertaining little Bom while he talked to Baekhyun; Jongin’s boss in this environment, yet so much more outside of it. 

“Yeah, I guess so,” Baekhyun shrugged while he tapped his pen against the desk, averting his gaze once more as shame crept up on his cheeks and settled there. 

Suddenly he felt like a pathetic excuse of a parent. Uneducated and disinterested. Forgetful and callous. Anything a father shouldn’t be.

Jongin picked up on those feelings, and his words held nothing but kindness and sincerity, “It’s okay, Baek, you’re a single parent juggling a job, a child and somewhat of a social life. We haven’t hung out in weeks, and emails are so easily forgotten after opening them.”

Baekhyun finally raised his eyes and sent his best friend a grateful smile, one that was mirrored only moments later. It was his bear smile, as Bom liked to call it. The smile that made his eyes squint and made him look as soft as a teddy wanting to be hugged. 

It had been the thing that had first made Baekhyun interested in his co-worker and seeing it again now made him want to get up and hide in the taller’s arms the way he had done countless times before. Except that spot was Sehun’s now, and Baekhyun couldn’t confuse his daughter like that. 

She’d ask difficult questions the way she always did whenever she noticed him bringing someone home. Young as she was, she knew kids were supposed to have two parents, so whenever Baekhyun brought someone home, she’d always ask if they would become her second dad. 

“So,” Jongin said then, once the silence had dragged on for too long, “I’m actually about to go on my break and Sehunnie is taking me to a very nice café. How about I take my sweetest niece so I can feed her while her daddy does some much-needed work?”

He was talking to Bom while meaning for Baekhyun to hear, and while his daughter’s eyes lit up with excitement, Baekhyun’s shoulders sagged in relief. He could do with an hour of alone time, just to get some proper work done. Baekhyun loved his baby, but having her around all day when there were other tasks to be done was an absolute strain. Which was why he was nodding his head in approval before he even realised he was doing it. 

“That would be… nice of you,” Baekhyun picked his words carefully, not wanting Bom to think he wanted her gone, and Jongin chuckled because he realised. “Bring me a sandwich or something else edible, I’m planning on skipping my own break to get everything done as quickly as possible.” 

“Alright,” Jongin answered while he helped Bom get off her chair. She ran to her coat when her feet touched the floor, and Baekhyun got up to help her in it. He zipped it up and then got her scarf around her neck, which made her cheeks puff up cutely.

She smiled at him, eyes still sparkling with joy, and Baekhyun felt his heart soften in his chest again. The kiss she gave him as a goodbye warmed him enough to light a fire in his gut, making him want to get to work fast so they could leave early and make dinner together the way he loved to. 

“Be good to uncle Jongin, okay?” he told her when she grabbed Jongin’s hand and started dragging him along to the door, “oh and Sehunnie too! Say hi for me.”

“Yeah, yeah, bye dada!” she only yelled back over her shoulder, her father long forgotten now she had a new adventure to look out for. 

Baekhyun watched her go, standing still reminiscing a little too long before he finally returned to his chair. He cracked his fingers as he stared at the papers in front of him, looking at them with newfound motivation.

“Back to work we go.”

\---

“Baby, can you  _ please  _ put back the candy? We have plenty of them at home, you can have some when we get there, but we need dinner foods right now, not snacks,” Baekhyun sighed tiredly, rubbing his face with his palm to try and get some of the sleep out of his eyes. 

“But dada-” she started, her lips already in a pout, but Baekhyun cut her off with a little too harsh-sounding, “-no. I said no, Bom. Now put it back.” 

She went quiet, big eyes staring up at her father, and although he immediately felt the sting of her upset, he couldn’t find the energy to try and make it up to her. He was about to have a mental breakdown in the dairy isle of the supermarket, could the world cut him some slack, please? 

“I-I was just trying to make you smile, dada,” Bom’s voice was quivering, her eyes lining with tears as Baekhyun finally realised which candies she was holding. Chewy sweets shaped like smileys, to try and get him to smile. She was way too smart for her own good.

“Oh, baby…” Baekhyun dropped down to her level in an attempt to make up for his snappy response, but before he could, Bom turned and darted off. 

The bag of candy swung in her hand as she ran, turning into the next aisle, and Baekhyun called after her as his heart clenched, “Bom, wait!”

He picked up their basket and tightened her school bag around his shoulder before he rushed after his daughter, stalking past shelves, around the corner and- “Ouch, fuck.” 

The basket dropped to the ground, contents rolling across the floor, unnoticed. 

Baekhyun rubbed his head in the spot where it had collided with someone’s bony shoulder. He could see said person’s feet and long, lanky legs as he looked down, but that was all he could make out before the stranger’s voice entered his consciousness. 

“Oh dear, I’m sorry, I wasn’t looking where I was going, a bit lost in my thoughts… Are you okay?” a hand landed on his upper arm as if to stabilize him, even though Baekhyun wasn’t feeling like he was about to lose his balance. 

More than anything, he felt how the mishap made the last bit of his reserve fade and give way to the breakdown he had been so close to having only a minute earlier. 

It just snapped, like the dam broke through and now emotions were flowing everywhere, pushing against the banks of his heart before flooding them. His eyes welled up with tears, which he tried to blink away as he faced the man who had become the barricade between him and his daughter. 

The stranger was young, maybe a bit younger than Baekhyun himself, and he was a good half head bigger than him. He had to look up to meet his eyes, but when he did, something pulled at his heartstrings, changing the course of the surging emotions inside his body.

Upon seeing Baekhyun’s face and his expression, the man’s forehead wrinkled in a frown, and where before only one hand had touched him, now a second found Baekhyun’s other arm. 

Worry clouded those big almond-shaped eyes the smaller was staring into, their colour dark like coffee or chocolate, and when a sniffle left Baekhyun’s trembling body, the frown deepened even more.

“I-I’m sorry, oh god…” the stranger muttered, concluding that the tears in Baekhyun’s eyes had to be related to their collision, “what happened? Do I need to take you to see a doctor? Should I get an ice pack? A glass of water? Just tell me.”

The liquid gathering on Baekhyun’s lash line spilled then, dripping down his cheeks and blocking his nose, which made him sniff a little louder until eventually they turned into sobs. 

Looking unsure and a tad uncomfortable, the stranger made the radical decision to tug Baekhyun into his arms, enveloping him in a surprise hug that had both of them stiffening at the same time. 

The awkwardness lasted for only a moment, however, broken once the single dad gave in to the gesture of affection. 

He nearly sagged into the man’s hold, wailing against the shoulder he had bumped into, “my- my daughter. She ran off and- and-” 

A hand rubbed his back, taking in the words without moving away, and the man’s voice was calm and collected as he asked Baekhyun, “In here? Okay, we’ll find her then. It shouldn’t be too hard. What’s her name?” 

“Bom,” Baekhyun blubbered before he finally pulled himself free, desperately needing to wipe at his nose to keep from making a bigger mess of things. The last thing he wanted was to leave a trail of snot on this man’s shirt. 

“Alright, any clue as to where she could be? Things she likes, perhaps?” the taller asked, turning around to look at the store while his hand was still on Baekhyun’s upper arm. 

How he had ended up with such a kind man ready to help him, he didn’t know, but he wasn’t going to question it now. He needed to find Bom. 

“I told her to put back the candy she had picked up without me knowing,” he recalled, feeling like an awful parent saying it out loud, but the stranger didn’t show any judgment when he took off, expecting Baekhyun to follow him. 

“Let’s check the candy aisle first, then,” he said, taking his warmth with him, and Baekhyun felt oddly alone now the man wasn’t touching him anymore. It was a strange thought, and soon it was replaced with his worry for Bom, which got him to finally move. 

Before he bounced off, though, he had to gather his basket. So he rapidly ducked to his knees and picked up the bottled kimchi, pack of noodles and the scallions that had rolled off somewhat since they had dropped to the floor. 

When he straightened himself again and turned the corner towards where the stranger had disappeared to, Baekhyun realised he was halfway down the aisle already. 

“Fuck,” he murmured to himself as he grabbed the basket a little tighter and started dashing after him, bouncing around like a child. 

As the stranger was taller than him, he was also faster. His long legs carried him much quicker than Baekhyun’s, making the single father all but run in order to catch up with him. 

The man walked with conviction, with a goal in mind that he had to achieve; the candy aisle. 

Except, when they reached it, with Baekhyun out of breath and the stranger looking pensive, there was no Bom to be found. He turned in a circle twice, scanning the entire section, but she wasn’t there. 

It was then that panic really settled in Baekhyun’s gut, and it settled heavily. Because Bom had never run off before. She’d strayed away sometimes, but she had always stayed in sight, and now he had sent her away and gone she was. 

“Perhaps she went back to where you were waiting,” the stranger commented as he had already turned around, but Baekhyun was frozen to the spot in fear. The idea that someone could have come and taken her with them, that they wouldn’t be able to find her, was paralyzing.

Then, as the fear had truly settled in his gut and had given him vivid nightmarish visions whenever he blinked, he heard a small voice squeal brightly in delight, “Mister Chanyori!” 

Baekhyun knew that voice, and he knew the pitter patter which sounded on the floor. They released him from his frozen state and made him drop the basket a second time, just so he could run to where the sound was coming from. 

Bom was making her way up to the stranger, who had made it only a few steps into the aisle before he had spotted the child and stopped. But Baekhyun didn’t stop to thank him or ponder about how Bom seemed to know him. He needed to hug his child. 

Scooping her up in his arms made her whoop and giggle, and Baekhyun twirled her around because the relief he felt was exhilarating. “Baby, oh my- you’re okay,” he laughed even though he didn’t think it was funny. 

Bom cooed louder and her hands wrapped around Baekhyun’s neck in order to hold on, “dada stop.” But although she asked him to stop, she enjoyed the kisses Baekhyun was peppering her with too much to ask for it a second time. 

When he was certain she was really there in his arms, that she was safe again, he propped her up on his hip and turned his attention back to the stranger, who was still standing close to them.

The frown on his face had been replaced by a bright smile, his eyes on Baekhyun’s daughter so lovingly, and it was only then that he remembered what Bom had said. 

“Mister Chanyori? You know him, Bommie?” he asked her.

Bom nodded her head before resting it against her father’s shoulder. “School,” was the only explanation she gave, but thankfully Mister Chanyori was helpful enough to add in the needed information for it to make sense.

“Uh, it’s Chanyeol actually, but the kids call me Mister Chanyori,” he awkwardly scratched behind his ear - which was adorably shaped, Baekhyun took note of -, “I uh- work in the cafeteria. I’m the head chef but love serving the food too, or going around to check whether they like it, that’s how they know me.”

Chanyeol shrugged then, looking suddenly much smaller and less intimidating than he had done when Baekhyun had had his breakdown. It was also the first time the single father properly got to digest how handsome the man actually was. 

Sharp features and big beautiful eyes made up his face, his forehead covered by dark, curly hair that was maybe a little too long, reaching his lashes.

Plump lips that curled into a half-smile, making a cute dimple appear on one side, his swallowing drawing attention to a very prominent Adam’s apple. 

Baekhyun let his eyes roam past strong shoulders, muscled arms and thin legs and then he brought them back up to where a pair of round glasses finished his look and made him look young, probably younger than he really was.

“Well, although I’m sure you’re used to crying toddlers, I’m not sure you ever had to deal with a sobbing grown up, so thank you for not running away. Thank you for helping me,” Baekhyun smiled, after which he finally reached out a hand for Chanyeol to take.

When the man did, his grip strong yet comfortable, Baekhyun felt the sudden need to hold onto it. To swipe his thumb across strong knuckles and- “my name’s Baekhyun, I’m Bom’s father.” 

“Nice to meet you, Baekhyun, and it’s okay - the crying I mean,” Chanyeol’s lopsided smile was cute, made him look genuine, “I’m glad I could help. And I understand. My friend has a kid around Bom’s age, sometimes he loses his mind, too.” 

The little laugh that escaped the taller made Baekhyun want to lean in and kiss it from his lips, which okay, was probably only caused by how grateful he was to have his daughter back in his arms and the fact that Chanyeol had been the one to help. 

“I mean, yeah,” Baekhyun chuckled, “as you know the school was closed today and I- I forgot, so I had to take her to work and now I need to buy things for our dinner and yeah… it’s not always easy.” 

Chanyeol hummed and cast a glance at the contents of Baekhyun’s basket. His nose wrinkled at the sight of what the single dad wasn’t afraid to say was anything but a healthy, homemade meal. He just didn’t have the time, and this was still better than takeout. Less expensive, too. 

“Bottled kimchi?” he asked, one eyebrow raised in question, and Baekhyun shrugged his shoulders in answer. 

“We can’t all be a head chef that cooks for a living,” he replied, no bite to his words whatsoever. He just hoped he wasn’t being judged too much. He hated when people did that without knowing the full situation. It happened way too often. 

Chanyeol in turn only hummed instead of commenting on how bad of an excuse it was, and Baekhyun watched him feel around his pockets for something. What he eventually fished out was his phone, and he tapped around on the screen a few times before he turned it in his hold and handed it to Baekhyun.

“Here, if you add in your number I will text you a few easy recipes that don’t take a minute more to prepare but are still better options than your bottled kimchi in there,” he smiled as he suggested it. 

He was trying to help,  _ just  _ trying to help, Baekhyun had to tell himself so. This wasn’t an attempt at flirting. Not from either side. Not even when Baekhyun added a cute emoji to his name when he entered it in Chanyeol’s phone. 

“That would be lovely, thank you,” Baekhyun told him as he handed back the device once he had finished. Chanyeol’s fingers touched his when he took it back, but Baekhyun ignored the bolt of electricity he thought he felt shoot through him. 

“Alright, it was nice meeting you. See you around, Baekhyun,” Chanyeol told him before he turned his gaze to the three-year-old, “till tomorrow little Bommie.” 

He held out his hand in a fist for the girl, and she bumped it with one of her own like it was anything but the first time they did it. 

“Bye Mister Chanyori,” she waved him off then, and he walked backwards facing them for as long as he could. His wave for Bom, his eyes on Baekhyun. 

\---


	3. Delicate Beginnings

As promised, Chanyeol texted him later that night after Baekhyun had already cooked and Bom had been put to bed. 

He saw it once he flopped down on the couch, exhausted after the entire day at work, the disaster in the supermarket and - to top it all off - a screaming Bom who didn’t want to wash her hair in the shower because she didn’t want it to change colour, which it would if it got wet. 

Baekhyun had noticed how the amount of yawns escaping him had increased to a level where he might as well not close his mouth anymore, but it was when he unlocked his phone that he stopped noticing it as much.

Maybe it had to do with the fact that he had received a text from an unknown number that he knew belonged to a very handsome man, because suddenly he felt wide awake again.

+ **821928373645** ; hi Baekhyun, I’ll link you to my website. It has plenty of quick recipes with lots of different ingredients and has sections with easy dishes and sections with more difficult dishes. Hope it can be of help  😉 and please let me know if you made anything. I’d love to hear your thoughts!

**Baekhyun** : Hi, mister Chanyori  😉 thanks a bunch for this. So cool you have your own website. I’ll make sure to let you know whether your recipes are Bom Approved. She’s a picky eater so it’s always a struggle  🙈

**Chanyori** : I know! At school she always leaves anything that has peas in it on her plate, and whenever we make anything with crab she’s always the first to finish it.  😬

**Baekhyun** : oh god, yes, peas… don’t get me started  😂 cucumbers are even worse, though! Luckily I don’t really like those myself, either.  🤢

**Chanyori** : haha, well skip the  🥒 salad on my page then. 

**Chanyori** : anyway, how are you holding up? Has the supermarket incident stopped haunting you yet?  🙈

**Baekhyun** : yeah, I’m feeling much better. The wonderful part of dealing with a young child is that things like that don’t last long. Before you know it, there is some other crisis to deal with and the previous breakdown will all have been forgotten.  😅

**Chanyori** : hmm, I guess that’s true. I don’t have kids myself, but I see it at work a lot. Even kids themselves forget easily. Bumped their knee? Wait, is that a delicious warm ricecake? Pain forgotten. 

**Baekhyun** : I can’t tell you how often I’ve gotten Bom to shut up with food. Food was a gift from God not just created for mankind to survive, but especially for desperate parents with whiny toddlers. 

Baekhyun paused before he sent it, feeling the huge face-eating grin that had settled there tugging at the corners of his mouth. He felt excited, a bit nervous too, and he briefly wondered whether he should change the message from ‘parents’ to ‘single parents’. 

Would it be too obvious though? Too clearly an attempt at flirting, at mindlessly throwing his eligibility at a man he may or may not have a tiny bit of a crush on after their brief first meeting? A man that, for all he knew, could be happily married and irrevocably in love with someone already.

It was highly possible, Baekhyun reckoned. Someone as handsome as Chanyeol, someone as kind and caring as him, had to be off the market. The last thing Baekhyun wanted was to receive a ‘that’s nice, but I have a wife’ type of text in reply.

He decided against adding in that tiny word which could so easily steer the course of their texting into a different direction. Too scary, too unsure of what it would bring. Not worth the gamble. 

**Chanyori** : hey! I’m not a parent, but I enjoy food just as much.  ☹️ It’s the best medicine in the world. Not just for illness, but for all kinds of pain. And as chef, I feel as important as a doctor, providing medicine for the soul instead of the body  😇🙏

**Baekhyun** : oops, I didn’t know I would offend you like that.  😬 Well, I guess that means you are severely underpaid, doctor. Also, what’s the best medicine for lack of sleep?

**Chanyori** : Ah yes, I sure am. I would say it was unfair, but I don’t actually work the same amount of hours as an actual doctor so  😉

**Chanyori** : and to answer your question: a hot cup of tea. No sugar! Preferably chamomile tea. It helps you relax and will improve your sleep. That’s the best I can give you. 

**Baekhyun** : I don’t have chamomile  😕 but I’ll go make some tea right now to test that theory.

**Chanyori** : shoot  ☹️ I’ll put some in Bom’s bag tomorrow, okay? 

**Baekhyun** : that’s sweet Chanyeol, but you’ve already helped me plenty. I’ll be fine!

**Chanyori** : it’s no big deal, I promise. Just to let you try, okay? Now, are you making that tea or what?

**Baekhyun** : I am, got a cup right here with me. I actually still have some work to do, but I’ll drink it while I read the final script of this book we’re publishing. Knowing me, it will take some time for the tea to do its magic.

**Chanyori** : after the day you had, though? I think it’ll probably make you want to go to bed pretty soon. 

**Chanyori** : But a script? Is it a fun story at least? Or not your ‘cup of tea’?  😜

**Chanyori** : Baekhyun?

**Chanyori** : You still there?

**Chanyori** : Told you so  😌

**Chanyori** : Goodnight x

\---

Baekhyun woke up with drool pooling on the cold surface of his desk, on which he had apparently placed his head sometime during the night. He didn’t fully remember how he had slipped away into slumber, but he did know that reading hadn’t helped him stay awake, at all.

His neck hurt from the awkward position he had been in and his entire body felt stiff when he sat himself up in his chair. Out of all places he could have fallen asleep, this was the worst one. At least falling asleep on the couch would have been comfortable. Falling asleep at his desk was anything but. 

“Fuck,” he whispered to himself, groaning a little as he checked the time and noticed it was only two o’clock in the morning. It would be another hour or two before Bom would likely wake up and start haunting him, asking for water the way she always did. 

He’d better move to his bed before that happened, maybe - if he was lucky - he could catch another hour of sleep before he’d be back up and running, taking care of his daughter. 

When he scooted back in his chair, about to rise from it, his eye fell on the unfinished cup of tea and his phone, which lay right next to it and everything came back to him. The moments before he had fallen asleep. The smiles and warm thoughts. Chanyeol.

Baekhyun couldn’t believe he had fallen asleep in the midst of his conversation with the man. Right after he had said he probably wouldn’t be falling asleep any time soon, too. What an embarrassment he was, leaving someone hanging like that. God, was he glad he hadn’t decided to flirt with him after all, because this would have surely sent some mixed signals. 

He briefly contemplated sending a text now to apologise, to tell him that the tea had worked and how he had fallen asleep, but he was too tired to do so. His eyes were falling shut again on their own, and if he didn’t move now, he would risk serious back problems. He’d answer Chanyeol later, after some more sleep and a good cup of coffee in the morning to wake him up enough to get his brain to function again. He would. Really.

\---

“Bom! Come on, baby, it’s time to go! We’re already late!” Baekhyun yelled as he put on his own coat, not surprised to find his already-dressed daughter had disappeared back into the house again. 

Impatient already, he listened for the patter of her feet against the floor to signal she had listened to his words, but even after a few seconds he couldn’t hear her come back to him and so he sighed, turning the corner to their living room and scanning it quickly. 

“Bom, this is not the time to play hide and seek, we will be late for school,” he complained when the little girl was nowhere in sight, probably hidden away somewhere in wait of her father, but Baekhyun was anything but in the mood for this today.

He could admit the reason for it was that he had been terribly grumpy for hours now. It wasn’t beneath him to confess such a thing, and who could blame him for it? After waking up at his desk, he had barely managed to sleep in his own bed, thoughts racing continuously, and then Bom had woken up and kept him awake for another forty minutes as she had wanted cuddles. And, well, some days he did well on little sleep, but today was clearly not one of them. 

“Alright then,” he rolled his eyes and turned away, “I’ll just go by myself then. Bye, Bom!” 

He knew she wanted him to look for her, and maybe if it had been any other day he would have, but as it was he had to retort to using foul play to get her to come out from her hiding spot. Which, of course, she did. 

A loud, “Noooo! Dada wait,” came from the living room, followed by quick steps as Bom rushed to the corridor where her father was waiting, “don’t go. Bom too.” 

She clutched his leg when she found him, holding on tight with both hands, and Baekhyun bent down to pick her up, carrying her on his arm, “There you are... Alright then, let’s go. Hold onto me, okay? We’re going down the stairs.” 

Her arms went up around his neck as he opened the door and stepped outside with her, finally. With one arm around her body and the other holding Bom’s bag, it was hard locking the door on their way out. Like so many things were hard to do all by himself, he thought. 

Baekhyun was way past the point of feeling sad for himself, but sometimes he wondered what things would be like if he weren’t alone. If he’d have someone to lock the door behind them, to hold Bom’s bag while he carried ‘their’ daughter. How much better would that be? How much happier would he be? 

“Dada,” Bom said, pulling him out of his thoughts, and Baekhyun blinked himself back into the present before heading towards the stairs, giving his daughter the attention she craved. 

From the moment they had left the apartment complex all the way up until they had reached the school was a whirlwind. Taking the tube, being swallowed by a group of parents and kids all on their way to the same place, it went by in a flash. 

Bom talked the entire way there, which was nice because then Baekhyun didn’t have to say anything to fill the space between them. He only hummed occasionally to show her he was listening and when they finally reached the school, he heaved a sigh of relief and interrupted her in the middle of her story.

“Alright baby, we’re here.” he told her quickly as he sunk down to her level, putting her bag around her shoulders when she turned to him, “Now, be good to everyone, okay? And eat all your vegetables, even if they’re peas.”

She pouted at him, big puppy eyes looking up, “But dada, I don’t like peas.” 

“I know sweetie, but if mister Chanyori made them you have to be kind and try them, alright?” Baekhyun kissed his daughter’s nose and pinched her cheeks before he sent her off, “Bye, sweetie.” 

He watched her nod in understanding before she ran towards the other kids of her group. 

Two girls immediately began fighting each other for her attention, and Baekhyun smiled and straightened himself as he kept watching the way she interacted with others. A social butterfly, talking to everyone that would talk to her, always smiling and being the biggest sweetheart ever. She didn’t even realise how many people loved her. 

He knew there’d come a day where she’d be too old to be dropped off at school. A day where his kissing her goodbye would make her pull a grossed out face, but Baekhyun was glad he had time before that would happen. Time to enjoy all these moments.

“Well, look who’s alive,” a voice behind him called, making him turn around to face over 6 feet of handsomeness. Dressed in a chef’s outfit, hair tied in a little net, Chanyeol looked slightly ridiculous, but not any less attractive. 

Baekhyun momentarily lost the ability to speak as his eyes noticed a hundred new little details about the man in front of him. The dimple near his mouth, the freckle on his nose, the way the light fell on his hair and-

“Oh, yeah, I am,” Baekhyun laughed, quickly scratching behind his ear to not look as stupid as he felt with the way he had fallen quiet for too long, “I mean, I guess that means your suggestion worked, so congrats.” 

Chanyeol chuckled and tipped his head to the side, looking absolutely charming, “I’m glad, but since you didn’t reply, not even this morning, I thought maybe it had put you in a coma, so I decided to come and check on you.” 

“Ah, yeah... sorry about that,” Baekhyun averted his eyes as he felt his cheeks heat up, embarrassment back to plague him, “I really meant to reply, but then Bom happened and we were running late and then I completely forgot.”

“It’s okay, you don’t have to explain, I totally understand,” Chanyeol chuckled as he turned to look at where the three-year-old was playing around with her best friends, “and I’m glad my advice helped, but still… here.”

Baekhyun returned his gaze to Chanyeol, eyes on his face first before they dropped to what he was holding out for him to take; a few bags of chamomile tea. 

“Chanyeol…you didn’t...” he started protesting, but while he spoke he was already reaching out for the tea anyway, as if there were tiny magnets in the tips of his fingers that were drawn to it, or maybe it was just Chanyeol they were drawn to. 

He never got to finish his sentence, because when their fingers touched he somehow lost his train of thought and forgot how to speak altogether. 

They remained in place like that, both of them, until Chanyeol finished for him, “...have to? I know, but I wanted to.” It was only then that he retreated, breaking the spell between them by leaving the tea in Baekhyun’s hand. 

The smaller stared at the little bags of tea, feeling like they were much more evil than tea was supposed to be, because now he’d forever link Chamomile to Chanyeol. He’d forever remember the electric spark running up his forearm. 

How unfair of him to do this. Was he even aware he was doing it, though, or was he way more clueless than Baekhyun was. Too many questions, too wobbly legs, Baekhyun felt like a stupid teenager again.

“Thank you,” he finally uttered, feeling like he had once again stayed silent for too long, resulting in a ton of rambling, “anyway, I slept more than usual and also I told Bom to eat whatever you serve her, even if there’s peas, and she’s promised to do it, so you can call her out on that if you want to. Oh, and I’m trying one of your recipes tonight, the ‘easy kimbap’ one. I’ll let you know what I think.” 

Throughout the jumble of words, Chanyeol’s smile slowly grew into a full on grin, and Baekhyun felt more and more heat travel up to his face by the second. 

“Ah, she got the rambling from you then,” the man chuckled, grin still in place, “that’s cute.” His upper body had turned while he spoke, and Baekhyun watched him fix his apron before he said, “I have to go back in now, though.” 

“Oh, yeah, of course,” Baekhyun laughed awkwardly, waving the taller off with a bit too much fervor, “go on, you, duty calls!” his laugh was too loud, his smile too big, but he couldn’t help himself. 

As Chanyeol waved him goodbye, telling him, “text me later!” Baekhyun felt the rapid beating of his heart slowly decrease to something that didn’t feel as overwhelming and scary as being around the taller. 

He was crushing. He was crushing hard. 

\---

**Baekhyun:** the easy kimbap was a success!  💪 I left out the cucumber (obviously) but the rest of it was perfect. I’m so full right now and Bom is already asleep on the couch.  😴

**Chanyori:** yes!! I love that. See, it’s easy. And Bom loved it too, aww…  😊

**Chanyori:** chamomile tea tonight? 

**Baekhyun:** if I can’t sleep again then yes. Now I can truly test it. Want me to let you know? 

**Chanyori:** of course! 

**Baekhyun:** alright, I’ll tell you about it later then.  😁

\---

**Baekhyun:** help!! I thought I had some rice left, but I don’t.  😨 What can I make with pork belly, some vegetables and eggs???

**Chanyori:** oh no! Luckily there are so many nice recipes with pork belly so don’t worry!!!  🙈

**Chanyori** : do you have soy sauce and onions?

**Baekhyun** : I’m Korean…  😶

**Chanyori** : a Korean guy that has run out of rice…  🙄 don’t tell me it’s a dumb question

**Baekhyun** : okay, okay.. yes, I do

**Chanyori** : alright. I hope you like pork belly stew??

**Baekhyun** : but that’s so difficult!?  😖

**Chanyori** : no it isn’t. I’ll guide you through it, okay?

**Baekhyun** : okay, but if my kitchen ends up on fire, I’m sending you the bill!  🤪

**Chanyori** : deal.

\---

**Chanyori** : hey, where’s Bom? Is she ill?

Enveloped in darkness with the only light now coming from his screen, Baekhyun stared at the text with his eyes squeezed almost completely shut. Even so, the brightness immediately made the throbbing pain inside his skull more severe, effectively killing any progress in getting it to die down. 

He groaned as he stared at the words, hating how reading them had made him feel worse than he had already felt, but at the same time seeing his daughter’s name there, it made his focus shift away from his splitting headache. 

From beyond the open door he could hear Bom singing along to the cartoon on the TV, and although he hoped she had left the living room looking somewhat presentable in the half an hour he had been holed up in his room now, he was sure she had made a big mess of things.

He really wished he could sit with her instead of lying in his bed drained of any energy. He wanted to be a good dad and keep an eye on her at all times, but if he hadn’t lied down before, he would have surely passed out on the kitchen floor while making Bom’s breakfast. 

Being ill was the worst scenario for a single parent, and although Baekhyun had been lucky enough to last a good year since he had last been feeling under the weather, there was no denying it now. He was on the sick list. 

He hated it not only because he felt like absolute shit, but because it meant he couldn’t bring Bom to school. It was especially awful as having her home was even worse, with Baekhyun not having the energy to properly care for her the way he should. 

It all made him want to cry, but he was too ill even for that.

**Baekhyun** : No, she isn’t. I am, though, so I couldn’t get her to school. 

**Chanyori** : you’re ill?? Why didn’t you say so, I could have picked her up on my way here!

**Baekhyun** : oh no, I would never ask such a thing of you. I don’t want to be a bother...

**Chanyori** : you wouldn’t have been a bother at all! 

**Chanyori** : come on, give me your address. I’ll pick her up right now so she can still get half a day of school, giving you a few hours to get some rest. 

**Baekhyun** : but aren’t you at work already? 

**Chanyori** : are you really refusing a few hours of peace and quiet?

**Baekhyun** : no… okay I’ll send you my location.

**Chanyori** : alright. Be there in 15!

The moment Baekhyun saw he had only fifteen minutes to get ready, he rolled out of bed and forced himself to move through the headache, swallowing the upcoming bile back down his throat. 

Feeling cold immediately, he threw on a clean sweater and quickly brushed his hands through his hair before he deemed himself presentable enough, and rushed out of the bedroom in order to get the rest of the house looking that way too.

Bom was on the couch, jumping up and down while she stuffed her face with sweets. She didn’t even notice her father coming in, and Baekhyun would like to keep it that way, because in order to clean up quickly he needed as few interruptions as possible.

First he picked up a teddy bear and a pair of socks, which lay behind the couch, and then he moved on to the shelves with books where his daughter had clearly been looking for something to read to her teddy. 

He started putting them back, not bothering with his usual alphabetical order for now, just needing it to be tidy enough for Chanyeol not to think he was a messy person who would carelessly leave all his stuff around the house.

By the time the shelf was neat again, Bom had finally noticed him, and she ran over to check on her father. “Dada! Are you not sleeping?” Her eyebrows were furrowed and her tiny hands tugged on his shirt to get him to level with her.

Baekhyun could feel the fresh layer of sweat on his brows and the rapid, thumping heartbeat in his temples, but he smiled to assure her he was alright. The only thing he couldn’t hide was the roughness of his voice as he spoke.

“No, I’m not. Mister Chanyori is coming to pick you up and get you to school, baby. So can you go and get your backpack for me? I’ll turn off the TV now,” he told her, and at the mention of Chanyeol, her entire face lit up like Christmas had come.

“Really?! Okay!” She bounced off, towards where her things were, and Baekhyun quickly wiped his sleeve across his forehead and got back to putting away the mess she had made of the living room.

When Bom returned she was already wearing her coat, unzipped but still, and was dragging her backpack behind her. “Mister Chanyori! Mister Chanyori!” She kept repeating eagerly, her excitement giving Baekhyun just a little bit more energy. 

He chuckled at her and sat down so she could come and stand between his legs, which she did without questioning because it was an unspoken thing between them by now. Baekhyun zipped up her coat that way, and he kissed her cheek without lingering too long, not wanting to get her ill too.

“Now, you listen to everything mister Chanyori tells you, yeah? Be the good girl you always are for daddy, too. Can you do that?”

Bom nodded her head with so much exaggeration that Baekhyun was surprised she wasn’t rolling her eyes at him. “Yes daddyyyyyyyyyyy,” she sighed loudly, now clearly trying to get out of her father’s embrace.

The second she had freed herself, she was off down the hallway, probably putting on her shoes, as if that would make Chanyeol reach them any sooner. Baekhyun took a deep breather, needing to stop the world from swaying, before he would join her there. 

The sweating was back, and so was his headache, pounding against the insides of his skull. Suddenly he felt thankful for the fact that Chanyeol was coming to pick Bom up, because he really needed to sleep it off, and he wouldn’t be able to do so if he kept worrying about what his daughter was doing in the other room. 

Just as he was wiping his sleeve across his forehead once again, he heard the shrill ringing of his doorbell, followed by a loud explosion of Bom as she opened the door for Chanyeol all by herself. 

Baekhyun slowly made his way over to the hallway to welcome him, hearing Chanyeol’s voice before he even got to see him, and he paused right at the doorway to listen to what he was saying.

“Hey you!” the cook greeted his daughter, and when he heard an ‘oompf’ sound, Baekhyun knew it was likely Bom had thrown herself at his leg, “where’s your ill daddy? Is he in bed like he should be?”

Baekhyun couldn’t help the way his heart did a little jump at the caring tone of the man’s voice, but he shrugged it off like it was nothing and finally turned the corner so he could make his presence be known, “no, not yet.” 

He went for a smile, even though it felt anything but attractive with the way his nose was completely blocked and his eyes were droopy even when he tried to keep them open. But alas, he had to try, because this was Chanyeol. Handsome, tall glass of fine Chanyeol. 

“Oh,” mister perfection replied, worried eyes settling on Baekhyun’s less than lively state, and the smaller would have started sputtering in defense had it not been for the fact that Chanyeol’s eyes somehow softened as he took him in.

“Baekhyun,” his voice was soft and sweet, “you should be lying down. God, I’m glad I ordered you to give me your address now that I am seeing you.” 

He stepped in and closed the door behind him, which surprised Baekhyun even more, because wasn’t he supposed to take Bom with him and leave? “Thanks for the compliment, really... But wait, shouldn’t you be heading back immediately? You know, because of your job?” 

Chanyeol chuckled and shook his head, pushing at Baekhyun’s shoulder only very lightly, which was enough to sway the tired man and make him stumble backwards. “Nonsense,” he said, “I need to make sure you are all set before I go.”

Baekhyun gave up and twirled around, walking back into the living room, followed closely by Chanyeol and Bom. “Fine, what do you need me to do then?” 

He watched the taller look around, as if he was checking to see how clean everything was, but when the man’s gaze eventually halted, Baekhyun realised he was only trying to figure out where the kitchen was.

“I brought soup,” Chanyeol said, finally bringing Baekhyun’s attention to the bag that he was carrying, “you should eat it before going to bed. Also, medication is important. Do you have any?”

“Of course,” Baekhyun followed like a little puppy once again, just like he had done the first time he had met Chanyeol, in the supermarket, “although I’m not sure whether any of them are for adults? I have a lot of stuff in case Bommie gets sick.”

“Alright,” Chanyeol put the bag on Baekhyun’s counter and then turned to him, “can you grab everything you own for me so I can check them?” 

Baekhyun found himself captured in Chanyeol’s eyes for maybe a moment too long, and then he nodded and rushed towards the cupboard, even though he shouldn’t be running around right now. 

The problem he faced when opening the cupboard, however, was the box of medicine was on the very top shelf. Considering it wasn’t something he needed on the daily, he had put it somewhere pretty much out of reach, and only now he realised how stupid he had been. 

He tried to tiptoe to reach it, without drawing the attention from Chanyeol or Bom, but because he was the ill person in this room it was doomed to fail. It would only be so long before people would check up on him. 

...and that moment was now. 

“Let me…” Chanyeol’s voice was close, so much closer than expected, and his chest pressed into Baekhyun’s back as he reached for the box.

God, if Baekhyun hadn’t been ill, if Bom hadn’t been there, he would have most definitely made good use of this moment. Maybe it was good that he couldn’t as it could so easily ruin the blossoming friendship between them. He would hate himself for destroying the nicest thing in his life right now. 

So he stayed very still while Chanyeol leaned into him, grabbing the box with ease, and only when he moved away again did he breathe. Hands flat on the countertop, eyes closed, he breathed in through his nose and prayed he wasn’t a sweaty mess again.

Next to him, Chanyeol was already going through the contents of the box, and he made a disapproving noise with every strip he picked up. “Damn Baekhyun, you are a walking children’s hospital, yet you don’t have anything for yourself? Is this what you’re like as a person?”

Baekhyun couldn’t help but smile a little, and he turned to finally look at the chaos Chanyeol was making of his kitchen. “You could say so, yeah,” he replied, feeling himself finally sliding back into his own skin.

The taller man stopped looking for something he could force Baekhyun to take, instead turning his body with a sigh, the same way the smaller man had done. They were facing each other, gazes flitting away whenever they locked eyes.

Baekhyun felt the tension as he shrugged, “It’s fine, I just need to sleep it off. Have a fever, sweat it out, right?” 

He was faking how well he was feeling, and Chanyeol could see right through him. Still, the taller knew saying something about it would probably make the single father bicker with him more, and that clearly wasn’t worth it. 

“Alright, I’m sending you to bed now. You should have the soup when you wake up later. I don’t trust you enough to go to bed by yourself if I leave you out here with the soup.” 

In answer, Baekhyun raised his hands in the air in surrender, “Alright officer, I will head to the bedroom then.” 

Bom giggled at his answer and ran off towards the hallway leading to their bedrooms where she waited at the door to Baekhyun’s room as if she had led the way there. 

Baekhyun knew he shouldn’t be surprised to find Chanyeol following him, but he blushed regardless. Even though the purpose of him following wasn’t anything sexual, it still meant the taller was going to see his room.

“Anyway, before I disappear into this nest of sheets, let me properly thank you,” Baekhyun told Chanyeol while he walked pretty much sideways. It felt a little uncomfortable, the silence between them, so he decided to break it. 

“It really isn’t that big of a deal. Baek...hyun.” Chanyeol assured him with a soft smile, “Besides, I missed Bom, so I’m not just doing it for you.” He laughed after that, as if it was meant as a joke, but even then it made Baekhyun blush.

Maybe he was making too big of a deal out of this. Maybe Chanyeol was really just doing this for his daughter. Even though it was highly unlikely that that was the only reason, with how often they had been texting each other.

“That’s good, she likes you,” Baekhyun whispered over his shoulder, “a lot,” giving him as genuine a smile as he could muster being ill, and Chanyeol laughed at it like it was actually funny.

They reached the bedroom door then, which he had left open, and he felt a little embarrassed about the state he had left the room in. He’d tidied up everything except for this room. His pyjamas were still on the floor, too…

“Alright, time for me to get some sleep then,” Baekhyun was the only one who stepped inside the room. Bom and Chanyeol remained in the doorway, and to see them there together made Baekhyun emotional in a way he hadn’t expected.

He looked at the two of them from his bed, warm and completely at ease, only to see Bom’s hand in Chanyeol’s as they made sure her father was tucked into bed. Like Chanyeol was the final part of this family that was missing, a part that Baekhyun really wanted in his life. 

Saying goodbye was harder than it should be, and he continued waving at them even after Chanyeol had told Bom, “Say sweet dreams to daddy, okay?” 

Hearing the front door open and close made him pout, for now he was truly alone, but he knew if he did as asked - if he would just sleep - time would pass quicker and before he’d know it, they would be back. The thought was enough for Baekhyun to close his eyes and slip under, easily submitting to the sleep that had been trying to pull him under for hours now. 

\---

**Chanyori** : we’re on our way back! Are you up yet?

**Chanyori** : had your soup and all? 

**Chanyori** : I bought you proper medicine too.

**Chanyori** : Baekhyun??? 

Baekhyun woke up from the sound of the doorbell, the noise barely loud enough to drag him out of his slumber. 

He yawned as he stretched out his body, slowly coming back to reality. It took another few seconds of ringing before his brain had rearranged in such a way that he understood what the sound actually meant. Bom was home.

Within a heartbeat he was out of bed, all but sprinting down the hallway to finally open up the door for the two who had been waiting for him to drag his ass out of bed. When the door swung open, he was welcomed by a hyperactive Bom singing some song and an amused-looking Chanyeol, smug smile and all. 

“Ah, there he is. Finally,” the man said with a chuckle, “we must have called a thousand times.”

Baekhyun cleared his throat and blinked himself fully awake, ready to utter an apology, but before he could Bom darted past his legs and Chanyeol was pushing inside too. No questions asked, whatsoever. Like he had done this countless times before.

“Dadda, we buy food!” Bom screamed once she had kicked off her shoes messily, one in the spot where it was supposed to be, one halfway down the hall. She had already run off again, though, throwing herself on the couch and turning to face her father before she came to a stop. Little hurricane that she was.

“Yes, we did,” Chanyeol agreed, gesturing with the bag of groceries he was carrying. Baekhyun could see a leek peeking out at the top along with the greens of a bunch of carrots, and he realised they didn’t mean take-out food. 

“Oh, no, you’ve already done so much, I couldn’t-,” Baekhyun began when he caught on, needing to pause because of an oncoming coughing fit, but Chanyeol wouldn’t have any of his excuses. 

He ruffled Baekhyun’s hair, not to mess it up but actually to fix it, and shrugged it off like it was nothing, “Shut it. You’re ill, you need proper food. Bom decided what to cook for you, so you will just have to accept it and let us cook for you.”

Chanyeol walked off, back to where he knew the kitchen was, and Baekhyun once again followed him like it wasn’t actually his own house they were in. “You don’t have to do this, really… I can do this myself. I’m perfectly capable of-” 

“Not when you’re ill.” Chanyeol dropped the bag on the counter and turned to look at Baekhyun, standing so close to him that the smaller instantly shut up, “now would you just let me cook for you?”

There was a passion in the man’s eyes telling him he should indeed stop fighting the kindness Chanyeol was giving him, but he couldn’t change how wrong it felt to accept this much of it. 

Baekhyun hated being dependent on others. He would never ask Jongin for help, let alone some stranger he had met only twice before. Now said stranger was in his home, making him dinner after having taken care of his daughter for him. He owed the cook already, even without dinner, but what could he do now? Kick him out and make it appear as if he didn’t want him there? That would be a flat out lie.

Wrapping his arms around himself, Baekhyun watched as the taller roamed around his kitchen, clicking his tongue against his teeth to show he disapproved of the fact that Baekhyun hadn’t eaten the soup the way he had been ordered to. 

Realising this, the single dad immediately began explaining himself, “Hey! I went to sleep when you left and I didn’t wake up until just now, how was I supposed to have the soup?” 

Chanyeol waved him off while he used his other hand to order his groceries in smaller categories, “Yeah, yeah...I get it. You should take some aspirin, though. Let me get some for you, then you can go and entertain Bom until I am done with dinner.” 

While the man fished something from his bag of shopping, Baekhyun fetched himself a glass of water. Then he held out his hand, palm facing upward, so Chanyeol could easily disperse the pills directly from the strip into his hand. 

No touching, Baekhyun would be able to do this if there was no touching. All he had to do was to keep some distance, not just because he was ill, but so he wouldn’t get attached. 

Attachment was dangerous, Baekhyun knew, and he didn’t want to risk it with someone Bom seemed to like so much.

He swallowed the pills without making any eye contact, and once done he put down the glass of water and walked away. He went back to the living room, where Bom had turned on the TV and was watching some cartoon she loved. 

Tired of it all, he flopped down on the couch with her, the movement switching her attention from the show over to Baekhyun. The smile that followed made the single dad almost burst into tears with pride and happiness. 

Instead of losing it and turning into a little crybaby, however, he beckoned her closer, which Bom gladly agreed to. She fit herself into the space between Baekhyun’s arm and his side. When he had his daughter this close to him, all the pain in his limbs was momentarily forgotten. 

He pressed a kiss to Bom’s head in greeting, before he asked her, “Did you have fun out with mister Chanyori? Did you listen well?” 

Bom nodded against him, soft humming sounds barely loud enough to reach Baekhyun’s ears, “Yes, dad. And I ate all my peas for you!” 

The way his heart melted at those words… nothing could make him feel the way he felt whenever his daughter made him proud. There was nothing better, not the best food in the world, not even sex. He lived for her happiness.

“That’s so good of you. I’m proud, baby,” he told her as he squeezed her a little closer, feeling her small hands come around him too. Really, Baekhyun wouldn’t ever need anyone as much as he needed her. 

She started talking about school then, her cartoon completely forgotten, and Baekhyun listened, giving her his undivided attention. Time ceased to exist and the world around them disappeared. All Baekhyun could see was her. All he could hear was her. His little miracle, his life’s gift. 

“Dinner is almost ready,” a voice eventually pulled them from the tiny bubble which they had created for themselves. It was Chanyeol, of course, standing at the doorway leading to the kitchen, and Baekhyun saw his sweet smile before it was safely tucked away. 

Bom jumped up in reply to his words, as if she already knew what Baekhyun was going to ask of her. They usually did this together whenever her father… put food on the table. Home cooked or bought, it didn’t matter. They’d always set the table together. 

With Baekhyun working on the heavier things and Bom carrying chopsticks, spoons, and whatever else they’d need. It was their tradition, and even though they had a different cook now, that part didn’t change. While Chanyeol was back at the stove, stirring through pots and pans, Baekhyun and Bom set the table for the three of them. 

The girl had gone back to singing the same song she had been when Baekhyun first opened the door for them. When he asked her she told him they had learnt it in class that day. 

“Trust me, she’s gotten better over the past two hours,” Chanyeol threw over his shoulder, which made Baekhyun snort so loudly snot was dangerously close to dripping out of his nose. With a hand pressed to his face he excused himself to the bathroom, telling Bom to go wash her hands and sit at the table when she was done putting down the cutlery. 

Once he locked the bathroom door behind himself, Baekhyun finally dared to breathe again. He blew his nose and washed his face, effectively getting rid of the layer of sweat that had started beading on his forehead again. When he looked at himself in the mirror, he was glad he didn’t look as shitty as he had that morning. Sleep had done him well, and he was positive Chanyeol’s cooking was going to help him feel even better. 

Even though he felt better he didn’t look half as good as he did when he wasn’t ill. This Baekhyun was anything but sexy, and as much as he liked Chanyeol as a friend, he kind of couldn’t stop the little crush he had on him. He wanted to be a little more provocative. It made him change out of the sweater and into an actual shirt, keeping the top buttons undone so they’d reveal part of his collar bones, and even though it was cold and made him shiver, he kept it that way. 

He brushed his hair, with a proper brush this time, and even put some concealer underneath his eyes to even out the darkness of the bags that had made themselves at home there. 

Feeling a lot fresher, and maybe a little bit pathetic, he finally left the bathroom. 

The mixed voices coming from the kitchen made him feel warm inside. They were having a conversation about what was in the food Chanyeol was cooking, and he realised with a jolt that he could get very much used to this.

This feeling was what he had been looking for from the start. For years this had been his dream, finding someone to raise a child with, and when that hadn’t happened he had settled for only part of his dream. But this, this was what he had wanted.

Except Chanyeol wasn’t his. They were nothing but acquaintances. Baekhyun wasn’t allowed to dream about this at all. He just wasn’t. 

“Alright, is the food done? Are we ready to eat?” he asked when he walked in on the two, pushing aside the warm feelings he had been harbouring. 

Both Chanyeol and Bom turned their heads to look at him at the same time, and whereas his daughter nodded excitedly, Chanyeol only checked him out as if he was trying to see if everything was okay, which he had been doing way too often today.

“Hmm,” the taller eventually hummed, turning to the stove to take a pot off the fire, “we’re about ready. I was just wondering if… shouldn’t there be like a fourth plate? Or like, do you want me to put one serving away for later?” 

Baekhyun blinked at him as he walked up to the chair across from Bom, the one he always sat at, “what- why would you put away another-” 

He paused then, realising with a sudden clarity what Chanyeol was talking about. He was asking about a possible partner, maybe Bom’s mother, because throughout all of this Baekhyun hadn't mentioned anything about him being a single father. 

Well, now was as good a time as any, he supposed. 

“No,” he answered, clearing his throat after the first word, “no, it’s just us. You can put it all on the table.” 

Chanyeol looked like he wanted to ask, but thought better of it when he looked at Bom, which was smart. Baekhyun would explain it to him later, once Bom was done with her food and put to bed. If Chanyeol was still here then…

With unanswered questions hanging in the air, dinner was a bit tense. Baekhyun didn’t know what to say, but thankfully Bom filled the space with all her stories, and she ate up everything Chanyeol put on her plate - including the pieces of cucumber in the salad. 

Baekhyun watched her with loving eyes while he tried the salad himself, but even though he wanted to like it for Chanyeol’s sake, it was pretty clear cucumber was just a no for him. The cook laughed at the face he pulled for the third time that night and told him to just leave it. As expected, Bom was off the second she was full, and Baekhyun was once again grateful for the existence of television. How single parents raised their children before technology came into their lives, he didn’t understand.

With the table now empty, leaving him alone with Chanyeol, he didn’t know where to start with his story. He knew he had to explain, he wanted to, but finding words for it was more difficult than he would have thought. So, he’d have to start with something more general. Something he’d know how to do. 

“I don’t have words to thank you for what you did for me today,” he began with, being honest in how thankful he was, “you must think I’m a horrible parent for just keeping my child at home when she’s not ill at all, but it’s kind of difficult if you’re the only one who can bring them to school.” 

Chanyeol rested his elbows on the table, leaning his chin on his knuckles as he looked intently at Baekhyun, “That’s okay. I know it’s not right to judge, especially considering how very little I know about your personal life.” 

Baekhyun shrugged, “I know, but people judge so easily that I always feel the need to explain myself.” He averted his gaze then, not sure he wanted to see the look in Chanyeol’s face as he said more, “I mean, when they hear I’m a single parent their first thoughts are often about what happened to my wife, while actually… there never was a wife.”

He heard the cook hum, as if this didn’t come as a big surprise, or like he didn’t care enough to comment on it, “I could see why. I have to admit that I wondered where Bom’s mother was. When you texted me and very clearly stated how you couldn’t get her to school, I figured there had to be a reason.” 

Baekhyun nodded, slowly bringing up his gaze again so he could see the pity in Chanyeol’s eyes. He was surprised to find there wasn’t much of it in those chocolate brown orbs. The stare he faced was strong, like the man admired him more than pitied him. 

“Yeah,” he shrugged, pretending not to care as much, “I mean, I always dreamt of finding the love of my life, marrying young, and then having a child together. But love was never in the cards for me. I got tired of waiting, and so I decided to settle for the second part of my dream.” 

Chanyeol's chuckle felt a little misplaced, until the taller explained what had sparked it, “Funny how for me it was the other way around, sort of.”

When he didn’t elaborate, Baekhyun raised an eyebrow in question. As if to say ‘you can’t leave me with that’, and Chanyeol knew it too. Yet, he wouldn’t be getting an answer right now, either. 

“I’ll tell you in a little bit okay? Let me get Bom to bed for you first,” he said while he started gathering all the leftovers onto one plate, speaking so casually it felt like this was any other night and Chanyeol was suggesting he’d put  _ their  _ child to bed.

“Please, I can do that myself,” Baekhyun started sputtering, getting up, “you sound like an actual babysitter right now.”

“Just because you can, doesn’t mean you should,” Chanyeol argued as he got up too, as if to counter Baekhyun’s move, “besides, kids always listen better when it’s someone other than their parents telling them what to do, so.” 

They were good arguments, enough to nearly sway the smaller, but instead of giving in he tried for a compromise, “Okay, what about I direct you? I’ll only watch while you put her in bed. Come on, you have to give me that at least, I haven’t seen her all day.” 

Chanyeol started walking, and although he didn’t stop when he reached Baekhyun, he did grab the smaller’s wrist and tugged him along with him, “Fine, come on then.” 

“Bom, time for bed,” Chanyeol was the one to tell her, and although it immediately made the three-year-old girl huff in the loudest, most dramatic way possible, she did let her body slide off the couch. Of course she wouldn’t dare disobey Chanyeol. But even though she listened, her steps towards her bedroom were as slow as ever, her pout never leaving her mouth. 

There were times where Baekhyun liked his little drama queen and there were times where he couldn’t stand how much she would drag this out, but tonight it was all for Chanyeol and so he found it more amusing than ever before. 

Baekhyun pointed to where her pyjamas were, where her hair ties would go, which lights to turn on, which book she loved reading before sleeping. He didn’t touch anything, just let Chanyeol do it, and he wished he could act smug, but the man genuinely seemed to enjoy doing it. 

Bom let herself be undressed and changed into her pyjamas without too much fuss, which was extremely unfair. If it had been Baekhyun, they would have been fighting about it for minutes on end until the single dad would use his strict voice on her and she’d finally cave.

Chanyeol was putting to bed his Sweet Bom, which of course was super easy and quick, and Baekhyun felt himself pout by the time he was finished, because it was depressing how perfect the cook was at everything he had done so far. 

Had Baekhyun done something bad? Something that was worthy of this punishment? Of having such a perfect man come into his life without being his lover? He probably wasn’t even into guys, or was taken, or something else because once again Baekhyun was certain someone this amazing couldn’t possibly be single. 

When Chanyeol stepped away from Bom’s bed, Baekhyun got closer. He kissed his daughter’s forehead and whispered a goodnight to her, after which they finally left the room. The cook was the one to close the door behind them, moving ever so slowly and quietly, as if she was already asleep, and Baekhyun’s heart squeezed together painfully in his chest at how cute it was. 

He led the way back to the living room, taking on the role of host finally as he offered Chanyeol something to drink, “Tea? Something stronger, perhaps?” 

“Oh, no, thank you,” the taller replied, sounding as if he was refusing, “tea is just fine.” 

Baekhyun was glad this time he was allowed to be the one to head to the kitchen and get them their drinks. He considered it the start of him paying back the kindness Chanyeol had shown him. 

“Would you like the chamomile you brought me or some mint tea?” he asked from the countertop while the water boiled, his back turned to where Chanyeol was waiting for him. 

“Whatever you’re having is fine,” the other answered, which was exactly what he would have said had he been a guest at Chanyeol’s place. Anything to make the life of the host easier. 

Baekhyun moved quickly, not wanting to take too long getting their cups ready, and when he rushed back to the living room he almost spilled some hot water as it sloshed around in the mugs. 

“Careful,” Chanyeol told him, and he stood up to take on at least one mug from Baekhyun’s hands. Their hands touched, which was something that should definitely be avoided, he came to conclude once again.

They laughed a little as it happened, and Baekhyun felt a stupid blush rise to his cheeks once he sat down, only a little bit of space between his body and Chanyeol’s. 

“Well,” he said, “here we are then. When I woke up this morning I did not expect all of this to be happening.” 

“I can’t say I did either,” Chanyeol answered with a careless shrug off his shoulder, “but I like that it did. At least it made my day a little more interesting.” 

Well, that’s one way to put it,” the smaller replied, softly blowing at his tea, “but yeah, every day is a surprise with Bom, that much is true.”

Chanyeol hummed and paused for a moment, as if he wasn’t sure it was okay to start asking now, but he decided it shouldn’t be as big of a deal, which Baekhyun admired, “so, you’ve been doing this all by yourself then?”

A soft nod confirmed this, a sudden shyness making it hard for Baekhyun to speak. He hadn’t really been interested in anyone since Bom came into his life, but every occasional date he’d been on had ended once talk of his daughter started. 

She was often a deal breaker, but Baekhyun would never lie about her just to get with someone. They’d find out about her sooner or later, so he’d pretty much given up on dating. 

“Got tired of waiting for the right person to come along and do this with me,” he eventually found the courage to say. Knowing this wasn’t a date and Chanyeol wouldn’t run out on him for being honest, he went on “it’s not always the easiest, and the process was hell. Adopting is anything but simple, but she’s worth it.” 

This really seemed to surprise Chanyeol, as if he’d expected something different. Maybe a story of Baekhyun knocking up some girl and her leaving him with the child. Anything but it being such a conscious choice. 

The single father chuckled, hands curling tighter around his mug as he spoke, “I know. Strange, right? A single guy, going for adoption…” he stared at the dark liquid in his cup, remembering the struggles he had needed to overcome, “it’s just kind of hard for two guys to get pregnant anyway, so I figured it wouldn’t matter as much. I thought, one day, I’d find a second person to raise her with, someone who wanted kids, too.” 

Chanyeol was quiet, no words spoken yet, but the smaller felt a tentative hand on his knee. The touch wasn’t too pressing, almost as if he was too unsure of himself to really let it rest there. 

“I’m sure you’ll find someone. You’re still young,” the taller assured him, as if it was something to be sad about, and Baekhyun hated how it indeed made him feel sad. 

Usually he was so good at remembering that, no matter whether he’d get love or not, he had a family and nothing was worth more than his family. Then he remembered his dreams and how, apart from Bom, he had nothing. That hurt.

“Maybe,” Baekhyun answered, an easy reply to get rid of the questions, a ‘ _ let’s change the subject _ ’, but just in case Chanyeol wouldn’t understand he added a question of his own, “what about you, though? You promised you’d tell me about how you had basically the opposite?”

Gone was the hand on his knee, and the cook sighed deeply, as if talking about it was too hard for him. Yet he still did it, for whatever stupid reason.

“Yeah, well… I was married once.” 

The statement was such a shocker that Baekhyun felt his jaw practically unhinge, falling open without permission. Married? Chanyeol had been married? How? When? What happened? 

The man seemed to sense the flood of questions going through Baekhyun’s head. Maybe he was used to having to explain himself after dropping such news, because he started explaining barely a second later. 

“She was my highschool sweetheart. We dated throughout college, and after we graduated we took a trip and I proposed. She said yes, and we got married. Young and blinded by love, unaware of each other’s hopes and dreams.”

“Sounds like a fairytale,” Baekhyun whispered, his mouth running faster than his mind, and he felt another blush rise to his cheeks, this time of embarrassment. “Sorry,” he apologised, realising this wasn’t the time to be talking. 

Chanyeol’s smile was soft and understanding, and there was a clear melancholy in his gaze, memories of a life he left dancing behind his mind’s eye, “It does, doesn’t it? But we were young, too young, and we didn’t want the same things.” 

The taller shrugged, his next sigh a lot less heavy, “I always figured divorce was for people who fought all the time, or for cheaters and liars, but none of that was what got us to divorce.” 

“On the night of our first anniversary, I suggested we try for a baby,” Chanyeol cleared his throat, as if he had reached an awkward point of the story, “I felt with the both of us having stable jobs and a nice apartment, we should consider taking the next step.” 

The pause that followed already suggested things hadn’t gone as expected, but Baekhyun held his breath the entire time as he waited for more of Chanyeol’s story. It was the first important piece of his life he got to learn about. The last thing he wanted was to ruin it. 

“But when I brought it up, her smile faded and she told me she didn’t want to start a family. At least not for another ten years or so. Her career was more important, her desire to have kids not as big as mine, and once that difference was put out there, things slowly started falling apart.” 

Baekhyun felt a lump in his throat as he realised how, in a way, they were very similar. Their stories were the complete opposite, but their dreams the same. He understood more than anyone the disappointment of feeling like you had to choose. How it was either a relationship or a child, but not both. 

“I’m sorry. That must have been hard,” Baekhyun whispered, “for that bubble to pop, for a dream to shatter. It’s awful.” 

Chanyeol sipped his tea, his gaze on nothing in particular as he stared ahead of himself, “Yeah, it is. Which is exactly why I admire you so much for choosing Bom.” 

Baekhyun knew being a single parent did deserve some credit, but he waved it off regardless, like it hadn’t been the hardest choice in his life so far, “Oh, please, if you had heard her story you would have adopted her too.” 

Then, getting more serious about it, he thought back to the moment he had made up his mind and why, “She was the right choice. For me, it felt like picking between unconditional love and, well, the kind of love that fades. I mean, who finds true love in this day and age?” 

He laughed quietly, hiding his smile against his mug as his heart suddenly beat out of his throat, waiting for Chanyeol’s reaction. 

“It’s out there, I know it is, but it’s not easy to find,” the cook pondered, “I’m sure once you find it, everything else will just fall into place. Like it’s meant to be, simple and… right.”

They fell silent after that, both staring at the warm tea in their mugs unknowingly having the same thoughts on their minds and the same wishes in their hearts. 

\---


	4. Becoming Familiar

**Chanyori** : So, I was just thinking…  😬 because you’re doing this all by yourself, maybe you should have a nanny from time to time. 

**Baekhyun** : A nanny? You think I’ve got a big pile of cash lying around for these kinds of things?  😂 Because if I had, I would have had a permanent live-in nanny already.

**Chanyori** : ha ha, funny! But no one said it had to be expensive! I know a very good nanny that’s very cheap.  🙊

**Baekhyun** : you do?  😮

**Chanyori** : yeah. Great at cooking, a bit clumsy in every other department, but will only charge you with groceries for the cooking he does and whatever treats Bom is able to get from him through begging.  😇

**Baekhyun** : Chanyeol…

**Chanyori** : correct! How did you know?  🤭

**Baekhyun** : No! I mean, you can’t do that!!

**Chanyori** : Man, you are truly the most difficult person to accept help, aren’t you?

**Baekhyun** : :((( I am not a charity case

**Chanyori** : okay, would it help if I said I am offering because I like being around children and I would love to babysit Bom both for my own entertainment as well as to get you some time to relax?

**Baekhyun** : I don’t even go out that often, I’d never need you.

**Chanyori** : doesn’t have to be because of that. I could help out for a few hours whenever you have a ton of work to do, too. I know you usually wait for her to go to bed first, and then you get back to work. It’s not healthy to live like that, Baekhyun.

**Baekhyun** : I’m perfectly fine.

**Chanyori** : no, you’re not. Look, what about I keep Bom entertained for an hour or two after school every day so you can stay at work longer and finish up before you get home? Plus, when you get home, there will be a delicious home cooked meal waiting for you. 

**Baekhyun** : god, that sounds really tempting…

**Chanyori** : Michelin-star-worthy meals every day, someone to rant at how boring work was, someone to keep Bom from turning your house into a warzone? Of course that sounds tempting.

**Baekhyun** : I’ll pay you for it. It may not be much, but I will. I’m not letting you do this as charity work.

**Chanyori** : stop calling it that! 

**Chanyori** : also, is that a yes?  😇

**Baekhyun** : I guess so, unless you want me to go back to refusing? 

**Chanyori** : no!! No, this is good.  😲

**Chanyori** : I’m happy you’re allowing me to help you out. 

**Baekhyun** : I’m just going to think of Bom and not myself. She loves you, you know? I know that had she been old enough, she would have forced me to say yes.  🤪

**Chanyori** : well, then I’m happy little Bom likes me. 

**Chanyori** : So, do we start tomorrow?  🤗

—-

Chanyeol did show up the next day. The day after, too.

Baekhyun worked from home both days, wanting to keep an eye on everything, sort of making it appear like Chanyeol had been put on a trial period. It wasn’t meant to add pressure. In fact, Baekhyun was doing it to feel less nervous himself. 

He decided beforehand if he still felt unsure about it after two days, he could always call things off. But when that time ran out, he found he had no reason to do so. Bom settled into it so easily, it nearly felt like nothing had changed at all. She was as happy as ever coming home with Chanyeol, smiling all the time and running around, and she went to bed without arguing, looking more content than she had done in a while. 

Baekhyun hated to admit it, but having Chanyeol around was absolutely wonderful. His house was much cleaner, their food much healthier, and his stress levels were much lower even after just two days. So, he decided to stop feeling guilty about accepting the help and to stop seeing the man’s kindness as something he was taking advantage of. He decided to put his trust in Chanyeol. 

He shared his decision after dinner the next day, coming over to the kitchen after he had put Bom to bed only to find Chanyeol still there, doing the dishes for him. 

The feeling of domesticity was back, making warmth spread inside Baekhyun’s chest, and he had to stop and shake his head to clear those wild ideas his brain kept feeding him. This wasn’t  _ that.  _

In his palm, metal dug its way into his skin, his fist subconsciously having tightened in response to his nerves that were now racing throughout his body. His heart was pumping blood through his veins with such speed he could practically hear it and his throat felt as dry as sandpaper even though he hadn’t spoken yet. 

In spite of all of that, he still stepped into the kitchen and called out the man’s name, albeit hesitantly “Chanyeol?” 

It sparked an immediate reaction, Chanyeol turning around to face him with this sweet, questioning smile already gracing it. His hands were covered in soap bubbles and the sleeves of his shirt were wet, even though they had been rolled up.

His eyes were sparkling, as if he was genuinely happy doing something as boring as the dishes, and Baekhyun momentarily lost his breath at how beautiful he was standing there.

“Yeah? Did she listen? Asleep yet?” Chanyeol asked, his smile widening as he mentioned little Bom, “Can’t believe she ate peas again. Maybe I can actually get her to like them!”

His excitement was adorable, and it softened Baekhyun up to the point where he felt mellow enough to move his limbs again and close the distance between them a little more. 

“Yes, I believe so. She was tired enough, anyway,” he chuckled, his legs leading him to where Chanyeol was standing, stopped next to him and averted his eyes. 

“So, is it as much fun as you expected it to be?” Baekhyun asked then, going for a teasing tone to try to convey that he wouldn’t have to feel bad about it if he were to back out now.

“Actually, it was easier than I expected it to be?” Chanyeol said, turning it into a question as he put another plate on the rack next to Baekhyun, “when I’m ready to leave, Bom is too. We can do some grocery shopping on the way, and then she plays around while I prepare dinner.” 

Baekhyun smiled at the image his words painted, at the vision behind his eyes, and he felt even surer of his decision now that he heard Chanyeol talking about it so happily. 

“Good,” he hummed, on the balls of his feet, “I, uh, left your first mini paycheck on the table in the hallway, next to your gloves and-“

Here it went, the most nerve-racking moment between them so far, the moment that had made him want to puke ever since he had made the decision. He stretched out his hand, holding up an opened palm towards Chanyeol, whose gaze immediately went down to the shiny golden key that lay inside of it. 

Chanyeol’s eyes widened as big as saucers, clearly forgetting to start what would have undoubtedly been an argument about the money Baekhyun had given him. Instead, he reached out for the key, like a bird drawn by shiny objects, and took it from Baekhyun’s hand, leaving a trail of soap bubbles on the smaller’s palm.

“Really?” He asked, sounding incredulous, “you’re giving me your key? I get to stay?” 

Baekhyun opened his mouth, about to tell him that yes, he was, when the key slipped through the soapy mess that was Chanyeol’s fingers. 

The taller flailed his arms around, trying to grab it, and so did Baekhyun.

Their hands clashed together in the sink, water splashing everywhere as they dove into the sea of soap, but Baekhyun had caught the key. Whereas Chanyeol, well, he had caught Baekhyun. 

The single father had one hand in the sink and one hand on Chanyeol’s hip, but the hand that was now hidden in the bubbles, was cupped by both of the taller’s. 

Three hands on one key.

They stood frozen in place for a moment, as if their brains were trying to make sense of what had happened, only then did Chanyeol jump into action.

“Oh my god, I’m so sorry,” he apologised, hands going to the towel over his shoulder to clean up the mess. He wiped his own hands down first before he grabbed Baekhyun’s with the towel, drying it off for him very delicately.

“I’ve told you I’m clumsy,” Chanyeol began explaining, “I mean, I’ve gotten this far without making a fool of myself, but the moment you decide I’m not some weirdo, I have to go and do this…” 

He was laughing this awkward laugh, drying off Baekhyun’s hand for way too long, but the smaller didn’t rush him in any way. He didn’t even lift his hand from the taller’s hip as it happened, feeling too comfortable leaning in this closely. 

“It’s okay,” he whispered, voice low as if speaking too loudly would break the spell, and it could. It could, because this was a stupid little mistake, not something Chanyeol had done on purpose to get him closer. Yet Baekhyun’s mind was going haywire.

When the smaller uncurled his fingers, the key was still there, although now slightly wet and covered in bubbles. Chanyeol went quiet in the same way as before, and he was a lot slower in his movements as he reached for it again.

With careful fingers he took the key from Baekhyun’s palm and placed it in his own, fingers folding over it so tightly it must hurt. But the look of determination on the man’s face told Baekhyun he would do anything to prevent his mistake from happening again. 

“Thank you,” the words were so sincere, as if Baekhyun was trusting him with much more than just the key to his home, “I promise to keep it safe.” 

The single dad couldn’t help but chuckle, “Well, best keep it on you at all times then so it won’t go down the drain next time.” 

He bumped shoulders with Chanyeol, trying to keep it light, but the man continued to just stare at his hand, as if this key was everything he had longed to get. As if it unlocked more than a door.

Inside his chest, the little flame of hope got a tiny bit more oxygen. 

“I won’t ever lose it,” Chanyeol whispered, the look of wonder slowly making place for a bright smile that he sent Baekhyun’s way, effectively making him lose his train of thought. “I promise.” 

\---

What followed in the weeks after were a ton of messages, pictures and videos shared between the two of them. Some about Bom, some about themselves. 

Chanyeol sent him pictures of a Bom covered in flour while baking cookies for her father, videos of her as he taught her to roll dough or squeeze orange juice. Also, he texted Baekhyun countless updates on everything they were doing while he was with her. 

It was cute, giving the single dad room to work while at the same time not missing out on anything his daughter was doing. However, it wasn’t just that. Their relationship grew beyond babysitting, too. 

Baekhyun would send Chanyeol pictures of the breakfast he’d make them every morning and would text him every night to explain how things were at the house and what to expect the next day. 

Then the cook would share videos of his attempt at making a dish with cucumbers that both Baekhyun and Bom would like and would tell him some funny story about some of the children at work or his cute little dog Baekhyun had gotten to know recently. 

Before they’d go to sleep, Chanyeol would always ask him how he was doing, and they’d end up staying awake for another hour talking about life and anything random they’d come up with. Casual chatting, something Baekhyun had missed doing with someone other than Jongin and his boyfriend. 

It was nice. Nice enough to have Baekhyun miss the company during the weekends, where he didn’t need Chanyeol around. Because without him, it was suddenly so quiet at the house, something that had been normal before but now felt incredibly strange. 

That clumsy, tall idiot had snuck into their lives with his stupidly blinding smile and soft chocolate curls and had left his mark on both of their hearts in nothing but a mere few weeks. 

Now, with it becoming the new normal, Baekhyun felt his heart clench whenever he thought about it ending. He didn’t want it to. Couldn’t imagine it. Yet every day he waited for Chanyeol to say,  _ “Well, it was fun and all, but I think it’s time for me to end it here. Have a nice life!” _

Even so, nearly two months went by without that happening. Two months and Chanyeol was still there. It was a small victory for Baekhyun, who had been alone for so many years. 

Although it was just friendship, he had someone he could count on now. Someone to be there for him and Bom when they needed him, and that was enough. It was more than what Baekhyun could have hoped to ever find again. 

_ [6 years ago] _

_ “You were everything I’ve ever wanted. How could you have done this to me?!” Baekhyun howled as he threw another shoe at Sunwoo’s face, missing by a mile because his vision was blurry with tears.  _

_ His boyfriend stood a few steps away, hands up in the air in surrender and shoulders hunched as he dodged throw after throw from Baekhyun’s side. Yet he remained quiet throughout the fight, not even caring enough to explain himself. _

_ “What did it, huh?” Baekhyun continued, grabbing the next best thing from the pile he had made of Sunwoo’s belongings. A pile of shit, ready to be thrown at an even bigger piece of shit.  _

_ “Was my body not satisfying your needs anymore? Did you grow bored of my laughter? Or maybe it was the classic ‘I don’t know why I did it’?” the crying man sounded absolutely delirious summing up reason after reason, all arguments that he had heard before from guys that were just as big of an asshole as Sunwoo.  _

_ Like many relationships before, Baekhyun had thought that this time things would have been different. He had thought he had found a more grown-up guy, someone that actually understood him, but he had been proven wrong once again.  _

_ Because Sunwoo had cheated on him, even though he had promised Baekhyun he would never hurt him like that. Not after how many times Baekhyun had found his lovers in bed with someone else. He wouldn’t ever do such a thing to him, he had sworn on it.  _

_ Except then he had, and now there they were, in the bedroom of their shared apartment with all of Sunwoo’s stuff thrown together, all because he had sought out the warmth of someone else’s body.  _

_ Baekhyun had considered the idea of setting his things on fire, but the apartment they lived in was his and the risk of him burning the entire place down hadn’t been worth that satisfying feeling of revenge. _

_ “Baekhyun, please…” Sunwoo finally spoke, his tone of voice begging in a way Baekhyun had heard countless times before.  _

_ Men were always the same like that. They always had the same lies and the same excuses, the same pleading voice when they tried to fix something that was permanently broken: trust.  _

_ “No,” he threw back, “I’m done with that ‘please’. You’re pathetic and I want nothing to do with you anymore. I don’t even care what your reason is, just take your things and fucking leave me alone.” _

_ He dropped the shoe he was holding and slid down to the floor, ending up on his knees as he stared ahead of himself, feeling completely empty as all the fight had drained from him.  _

_ Tears continued to stain his cheeks while Sunwoo quietly started packing his belongings, and accompanying the noise of clothing being stuffed inside bags were Baekhyun’s sobs, his hiccups and his sniffs.  _

_ He hated himself for the fact that he was crying, that he was being this weak yet again. He’d been in plenty of relationships that had all ended the same way, but still he never seemed to learn.  _

_ In all those years, he hadn’t become any stronger. He was still as upset as he had been the first time he had broken up with someone, back in the days when he had been nothing but a carefree teenager. It still hurt the same way, too. _

_ Baekhyun was too soft, got too easily attached, and it was one of the main reasons why he always ended up heartbroken. He fell in love quickly and always with the wrong people.  _

_ The guys that gave him attention from the start were often the ones that weren’t looking for a long term relationship, yet it was that attention that always got Baekhyun to fall for someone. And it was also the exact behaviour that should be his warning sign.  _

_ Sunwoo had showered him with love from the moment they had met, and Baekhyun had been blinded by kisses and empty promises, by flirty words and beautiful eyes. He hadn’t realised he had done nothing but follow the same damn pattern he always did.  _

_ “Baekhyun?!” came a new voice, sounding a bit further away, but contrary to Sunwoo, this person was actually welcome.  _

_ He had travelled fast. It hadn’t been that long since Baekhyun had texted him with what he had found out, and even though Jongin had seen the message fairly quickly, Baekhyun hadn’t expected him to rush over for this.  _

_ He didn’t even have to answer his call either, because before he could have opened his mouth, his best friend had barged in and stopped in his tracks to assess the scene.  _

_ He spotted Baekhyun first as his eyes were scanning for his best friend, but when he saw that Sunwoo was still there too, packing his things, his gaze changed from worried to absolutely furious in a matter of seconds.  _

_ “You, you fucking-” the younger growled, hands balling into fists at his sides, and all Baekhyun could do was call out his name in a quiet plea while his friend barged over to Sunwoo and grabbed him by the collar. _

_ Not listening to Baekhyun’s appeal, Jongin pulled his arm back and then let it fly again, landing a punch on Sunwoo’s pretty face just as Baekhyun cried out again, “Jongin, stop. Stop!” _

_ Luckily it was enough to get his best friend to snap out of the rage that had clouded his vision and he returned to the present, switching his attention to Baekhyun, who was still looking miserable in his little heap on the floor.  _

_ Jongin rushed over without checking Sunwoo’s injury, and he fell to his knees in front of his best friend instead. Those big eyes were filled with concern, and they only briefly took in Baekhyun’s state before the smaller was being tugged into his arms in a protective embrace.  _

_ Baekhyun’s sobbing became impossibly louder as he sagged into his best friend’s hold, allowing the touch of someone who cared about him and would keep him safe.  _

_ He could still see his ex-boyfriend from over Jongin’s shoulder, and although he hated how Jongin had used violence, he felt a weird sense of satisfaction seeing it had given Sunwoo an awfully bloody nose.  _

_ The guy had started packing much faster, wanting to get away from the madness that was Baekhyun and his best friend, and that too was predictable now. He wouldn’t even be surprised if he’d never return for the things he’d leave behind in his rush, that too was a common ex-boyfriend thing to do.  _

_ The softest whispering of, “fucking maniac,” reached the two entwined bodies, and Baekhyun tightened his hold because he knew it would agitate Jongin to the point of him wanting to get up to punch that asshole again.  _

_ “It’s okay, let it go,” he whispered, closing his eyes only once he saw how Sunwoo ran out the door with as much of his stuff as he could carry in one go.  _

_ “Fucking asshole, I know I shouldn’t have trusted him with you,” Jongin groaned against Baekhyun’s shoulder, but he stayed in place as asked, knowing his best friend needed him there. _

_ “It’s not your fault,” the older told him assuringly, rubbing his back as if he was the one that was hurting instead. Maybe he was too used to the heartache to really feel it anymore. _

_ “Baek…” Jongin spoke, his voice growing small, and the taller hummed to show he was listening, “please, stop dating guys like him.” _

Baekhyun had listened to his request. But in order to stop dating ‘guys like him’, he had pretty much needed to stop dating altogether. 

He could never be sure if the guys he had a crush on would end up being the same type of guys as all the ones he had been with before, and so he never took a shot again after that. 

He had been afraid of trying, too unsure to ever do so, but eventually he had decided that giving up on dating had been the smart choice. He had healed, slowly and by himself, but he had. 

He had even gotten better to a point where his heart had opened up for a different kind of love. 

That was when he had first started the process of adoption, something which had taken so long and had brought him to a different kind of breaking point many times, but it had brought him the happy ending he had looked for in relationships.

It had brought him Bom. 

\---


	5. Planning for More

“You seem a lot more relaxed lately,” a voice interrupted Baekhyun’s workflow, pulling him out of his editing. When he looked up he saw how Jongin had sat himself down on the right side of his desk. 

“Oh, hey,” he replied absent-mindedly, turning his gaze back down to the paper under his nose to get back to work, “do I?” 

He continued highlighting parts he felt needed a second opinion, acting almost as if his friend wasn’t even there. All he wanted was to finish already so he could go home. He could chat with Jongin any time. 

“Yeah,” Jongin went on, poking his arm to get his attention, “always working so hard, looking like you’re sleeping a lot better, getting out of here much later but with all your work done…what’s up?” 

Baekhyun dropped his highlighter and finally gave his friend his full attention, feeling a little shy all of a sudden as he thought about explaining to Jongin that his life was so much better since Chanyeol was in it. How everything was just... _ easier _ .

He was sure his best friend would tease him about it and ask a billion questions, but not answering would only make matters worse. 

“Well, I got a nanny,” he started, which was in fact the entire situation summarized in nothing but a few words, but context changed everything and Baekhyun knew it. 

“A nanny?” Jongin was quick to butt in, eyebrows lifted and arms coming up in front of himself. He crossed them while he hummed, “well that explains the leaving late.”

Baekhyun nodded, his gaze turning back to the desk where it stayed, his mind wandering to the man who now took care of his daughter every day. “Yeah, he actually works at Bom’s school so he takes her to the house and then cares for her until I get home.”

“ _ He _ ?” Jongin asked, his voice a little too loud as he caught this little detail of the story. The one thing that made this entire thing worth talking about.

If he had been straight, it surely wouldn’t have been worth noticing that his nanny was a man, but he wasn’t, and so any guy in his life was a potential love interest. Of course it mattered. 

“Yes, Jongin,  _ he _ . His name’s Chanyeol,” Baekhyun reluctantly started sharing more, as if he had to be afraid to be judged by Jongin when the guy had never in his life been unsupportive of Baekhyun, let alone been mean to him.

“We ran into him in the supermarket a few months back. I lost track of Bom and he helped me find her because I was having a panic attack. Turned out she knew him, weirdly enough.” 

Jongin stayed quiet, expecting more of the story to follow, he seemed to know that couldn’t have been all there was to it, and of course he was right.

“He cooks lunch for the kids at school. So it started with him texting me some easy recipes and whatever, and then when I was ill about two months ago, he noticed Bom’s absence and texted me.” 

“He picked her up from the house after lunch and returned her once the day was over. He even made dinner for us. After that, he suggested helping out more often, like a nanny, and that’s where we are now,” Baekhyun nodded, as if he was confirming it to himself too. It was just that, nothing else.

“Baek,” Jongin said, sounding almost a little disapproving of this, which made Baekhyun look up in surprise, “I know you’re having a rough time financially. Not because this job doesn’t pay, but because you take care of all the costs by yourself. How are you paying this guy?”

When he heard the actual question, the worry that had started to knot in his shoulders slowly released again, making him relax. He still felt a little uncomfortable answering, mainly because Jongin would not agree with him on this, he already knew, but at least it wasn’t as bad of a thing as he had expected it to be.

“Well, I pay him however much I can,” he shrugged lightly, trying to brush it off in the hopes his best friend wouldn’t make a big deal of what he was about to add, “he said he’d do it for free, but I wouldn’t allow him to.”

“He- what?” Jongin seemed to be confused by this, and Baekhyun watched him from the corners of his eyes as his friend stood up, as if that would help him think, “for free? Just for the fun of it? Nah… what ulterior motive does he have, Baek?”

“What? N-no, Chanyeol isn’t out for anything else,” Baekhyun was quick to defend him, hands raised as if he himself was the culprit, “if he was then he would have already done something by now. It’s been weeks since he first came over.”

“Well,” Jongin argued, “there has to be  _ something.  _ No one offers to watch someone else’s kid for free unless they’re related, in love with that person, or want to rob their house.”

Baekhyun choked on air, somewhere in the middle of a laugh, and coughed a few times before he answered. “You’re crazy, none of those are the case. I know my relatives, I don’t have anything worth robbing, and well… I just don’t want to assume it’s that other thing because it probably isn’t.”

“Why?” Jongin retorted immediately, “why can’t he be doing it because he likes you?” 

The younger smacked his forehead after he said those words, already able to tell from the look on Baekhyun’s face he was going to come up with some stupid excuse, “and no, I won’t hear the same old arguments again, Byun.”

“But they’re valid!” the older threw back, his lips forming a pout as he rubbed his forehead and wheeled his chair a bit further away from Jongin, “I have a child, no one in their right mind would just get involved with me. Not only am I a single parent, I look like one too. I look like I’m raising an entire orphanage on my own. Come on, you can’t tell me I look as good as I did before I had Bom.” 

Jongin puffed out air, loudly, and his fist slammed the desk so hard it caused one of the picture frames on top to fall over, “Bullshit. You’re just trying to find excuses as to why he wouldn’t like you. You’ve been holding back your heart ever since you got Bom, that’s the only reason you’re single.”

“Baekhyun, you’re so lovable, Bom is too. I can’t remember how often I’ve watched you turn down coworkers who wanted to get coffee with you. They’ve all given up because you push them away whenever they show interest,” Jongin ranted on, hitting the nail on the head.

“You’re not worried they won’t like Bom, or that you look like shit. You’re scared of being hurt again. You look for love in your daughter and forget there is a much bigger world out there. That there’s other love right there, waiting for you to come look for it.”

Baekhyun’s heart ached. He didn’t want to think about the things Jongin was forcing him to remember. He wanted to live his ordinary life in his little bubble, but maybe he could no longer do that.

Chanyeol had pierced it weeks ago, back in the supermarket, making Baekhyun feel the kind of longing he hadn’t felt in a long time. That alone had been enough to change things, and then Baekhyun had allowed him in, and now there was no way back.

“So what?!” he snapped, “so what if all of that is true? It doesn’t matter. I know it doesn’t, because I know Chanyeol hasn’t looked at me differently at all. He’s never tried anything either. So why should I believe it?” 

Jongin sighed, understanding maybe he had gone a little too far, and he stepped around Baekhyun’s chair so he could get his arms around him from behind. 

The hug was a little awkward, with Jongin bent over, but it was sweet nonetheless and made it that Baekhyun had nowhere to go. He was forced to listen to the words spoken almost directly into his ear now, “Don’t believe me. Believe him. I have an idea.”

He let go of the older man again and he turned around to move to the left side of Baekhyun’s desk. For some reason it reminded Baekhyun of having an angel and a devil on each side. 

Clearly this was devil Jongin sharing his plan, because his grin was wicked as he spoke again, “we can test him.” 

His index finger trailed the corner of Baekhyun’s desk, “Ask him if he can babysit Friday night. If he asks why, you tell him you want to see me and Sehun, so he’ll think you’re out with friends.”

“Uhm, not to sound dumb but…how is that going to help?” the older asked, one eyebrow raised in question. 

“Well, only right before you leave you’ll tell him it’s actually a double date you’ll be going on,” Jongin continued, “and then, when you return and tell him about it you can check if he reacts in a strange way at all. If not, you can check your house to see if he’s stolen anything.”

“Jongin, seriously…” Baekhyun sighed, “if he had wanted to steal anything he could have. I don’t think me going out one night will change that in any way.” 

“Then at least you’ll know if it's because he likes you,” Jongin rolled his eyes, “isn’t that worth something, too?”

And it was. In fact, it was worth way more than finding out whether he’d steal anything or not. Because if Jongin was right and Chanyeol was doing this because he liked him, then he could gain so much from it. 

This wasn’t any other guy he had met out in the club on a random night out. This wasn’t even close to how all his other failed relationships had started, and that brought him hope. 

Over the months they hadn’t crossed any lines beyond some occasional comments that could be seen as flirty. Besides, Chanyeol knew he had Bom and that she would be his priority, always. 

Considering those were the two things that usually killed any sparks between him and a potential lover, Chanyeol would be the first exception to the rule. And that meant that… 

No, Baekhyun wasn’t going to let himself think about it. He wasn’t going to let Jongin’s delusional thoughts get to him. It was simply too unlikely. Like winning the lottery, Baekhyun would never be lucky enough to both have Bom and someone like Chanyeol in his life at the same time. 

“Fine, I’ll ask.”

He told himself he was only agreeing so he could prove Jongin wrong and they could both stop thinking about it, but that little flame of hope was hard to ignore. So hard that he couldn’t even stop the hint of a smile playing at the corner of his mouth. 

\---

**Baekhyun** : Hey Chanyeol… I was wondering about something. It’s okay if you don’t want to do it, but I guess it won’t hurt to ask.

**Baekhyun** : I haven’t seen my best friend and his boyfriend in months and I’d love to go out and have a few hours with them. I could even work from home that day to compensate, but it would mean I’d like you to come in at night instead of during the day and I don’t know if you’re okay with that.

**Chanyeori** : hi youuu!

**Chanyeori** : really? That sucks…  😔 I can’t imagine going without my friends for that long... So yeah, sure, I’ll do it. 

**Baekhyun** : Really? I’ll properly pay you and I’ll make sure I’ve got the best snacks at home for you so you won’t be lacking in anything.  😊

**Chanyeori** : of course. It’s just one night, no big deal. I offered my help so you’re allowed to ask for it, alright  😉

**Baekhyun** : I still don’t like doing so, though. And I’ll find plenty of ways to make up for this. Maybe I can get Bom to give her puppy eyes so she’ll melt you and you will never want to leave again.  🥺

With a groan Baekhyun dropped his head on his desk, forehead colliding with the hardwood. 

He hated himself for saying something so blatantly flirtatious. ‘you will never want to leave again’, really? He might as well have asked the guy to marry him right on the fucking spot.

Jongin’s words were toying with him and his weird texts were proof of it. He wouldn’t be surprised if Chanyeol had actually laughed at his screen because of how awkward he was being.

But he had received a ‘yes’ and that was all that mattered. To Jongin anyway.

“So? What did he say?” his best friend demanded from the other side of his desk, asking with a hopeful tilt to his voice that was a little too knowing for Baekhyun’s liking.

He didn’t bother raising his head as he answered, couldn’t bear looking at Jongin’s smug face, and so he simply grumbled against the desk in reply, “he said yes.”

\---

In the days leading to Friday, Baekhyun found himself growing shy around Chanyeol. 

He kept staring at him from underneath his lashes while they were having dinner, trying to see if he could already find an answer to the question whether perhaps there was more to this than he had realised. 

It didn’t appear like Chanyeol had noticed his weirdness, for he acted no different than usual, but still Baekhyun felt like there was a spotlight on him all the time. Like he was being way too obvious about things, even if the taller never noticed.

Because most days, it was Bom who stole the show. 

Baekhyun once again noticed how much his daughter liked having ‘mister Chanyori’ around, and now he was paying attention he realised she had started misbehaving just so he’d stay a little longer. 

She would beg for his attention every other minute and made a bigger fuss of going to bed than she had done when it had been only Baekhyun tucking her in, all so she’d get Chanyeol to read her another bedtime story.

How Chanyeol didn’t notice her little tricks was beyond him. Or maybe he did and he simply didn’t mind. Whatever it was, Bom was clearly getting overly attached, and Baekhyun found himself having another reason to panic over this entire fake-date plan.

If he’d fuck up and assume wrongly, or worse - if Chanyeol was to find out, the taller could end up leaving them. Baekhyun knew that would not only hurt him, but his daughter too, possibly even more so. 

He was very aware of the fact that she didn’t deserve to lose Chanyeol just because Baekhyun had a little crush, and so he tried to be very careful about all of this. He couldn’t allow Jongin to take it too far just because he wanted to prove his point.

With that in mind, Baekhyun kept the ‘date’ part of his night out hidden until that Friday night, a mere ten minutes before he had to leave the house. 

Bom was still on the couch watching a show, now snuggled up with a sleepy-looking Chanyeol, when Baekhyun returned from cleaning up and getting dressed. 

He was wearing snug jeans that he hadn’t worn in years, opting for something a bit more form fitting in comparison to what he wore on an everyday basis. On top he wore a dark shirt covered by a black, casual, pinstriped jacket and to accessorize, a thin string wrapped around his neck to create a makeshift necklace.

It was the first time in maybe half a year that Baekhyun had made such an effort for anything other than work, and it felt nice. Not just because Chanyeol’s gaze travelled to him and eyed him up and down a few times, but because he felt like he could breathe again after a long time of drowning in overwhelming stress.

It wasn’t just this night out that made him feel that way, it was everything combined, that had him feel more relaxed now than he had in a long time. Most of it was related to the man who just couldn’t keep his eyes off him, the man that made a soft blush creep up in his cheeks.

“So, uhm,” Baekhyun uttered, looking at Bom rather than Chanyeol in fear of ending up doing something awkward again, “we’re just going out to a restaurant for food and some drinks, so I really won’t be that late. Bom can stay up as long as you allow, but I predict she’ll become annoying due to sleepiness in about half an hour.” 

Baekhyun grabbed his things, phone and keys, and only then did he turn back to Chanyeol. His nanny had stood up, hands stuffed in the pockets of his jeans, and he looked at Baekhyun with this inexplicable look in his eyes. 

“It’s okay, you don’t have to worry about time tonight. I don’t want you to keep checking your phone or rushing back here early because you feel you have to. Just go have fun with your friends, I’m sure they’ve missed you now that I’m stealing so much of your time,” Chanyeol’s smile was small but soft, cute little dimple appearing with it.

Baekhyun forgot how to breathe for a moment, a million thoughts on his mind and words on his lips he shouldn’t be saying. Instead of uttering them, he turned away, reaching for his coat next, “Okay, fine. Although you’re not stealing my time, you’re actually saving me time while keeping me company too.”

Fuck, still too close to being flirty. Why did he continuously feel the need to tell Chanyeol how much he helped Baekhyun? Did he want the guy to feel like he was fucking special? 

Taking a deep breath, Baekhyun knew he had reached the moment where he’d have to drop the bomb of him going on a date. He also knew he’d have to be looking at Chanyeol to gauge his reaction, but his heart was in his throat with nerves just at the idea of it.

The wrong tone of voice or some leaked in desperation, and Chanyeol would be able to see right through him and this stupid plan. He could fuck up so easily, and so much was at risk, but if he wouldn’t do it then he’d never know, either. 

Love was a fine line between taking risks and knowing when to hold back, and Baekhyun was balancing on that tightrope with eyes closed and arms outstretched in the hopes that he wouldn’t fall once he tried. 

“Anyway,” he spoke, eyes finally moving up Chanyeol’s body until he could look at his face. They were standing in the hallway by now, Baekhyun having shrugged on his coat, Chanyeol having followed to see him out. 

He swallowed once more, forcing a small smile that hopefully didn’t show how nervous he was, and then finally just blurted out the words that he needed to say, “pray for me that my date isn’t the most boring person on earth.”

As silence fell, Baekhyun couldn’t help but let out a sort of choking noise that hopefully sounded like a huff, as his heart was about to jump from his chest in fear of what Chanyeol would say.

It was quiet for a little bit, as if this news had come as a shock to the taller, and the same confusion that could be seen on his face was audible in his voice, too. 

“Date?” Chanyeol asked him, “I thought you were going out with friends?” 

Baekhyun was having such a hard time breathing that he didn’t know whether the jealousy he heard in Chanyeol’s words was real or imagined. Was he seeing things that weren’t there just because he wanted them to be real? Or was Chanyeol actually jealous?

“Yeah,” he tried to sound casual but failed, “I am, but they made it a double date sort of thing. They said I should get back on the saddle because it’s been months since I last went on a date of any kind.” 

His laughter was empty and short, dying as his eyes fell, noticing the way Chanyeol’s fingers twitched and then slowly curled into a loose fist by his side. 

“Oh, I see,” the taller nodded his head a few times, eyes averted as well, and Baekhyun looked back up just in time to see his eyebrows furrow before he straightened his face again, “I see.”

Back was the smile, brighter than before this time too, and Baekhyun felt like shit because he could tell it was fake. But why? What was going through Chanyeol’s mind right now?

Was he upset because Baekhyun was going on a date, or was it because he felt like he had been fooled into babysitting for the night? Or maybe it was something completely different?

“I’m sorry, I didn’t know either until this afternoon, I didn’t plan for this,” Baekhyun replied, deciding it had to be that Chanyeol didn’t want to be babysitting Bom for practically nothing while he went out on a date. 

But his thoughts were neither confirmed nor denied and so Baekhyun was left none the wiser as Chanyeol waved him off, “It’s okay, I was just thinking that- you know, with me being here, you can’t really take him back here, right?”

Baekhyun’s heart stopped for a second before it started beating even faster. His mouth opened, ready to tell Chanyeol he had misunderstood everything, but he couldn’t. He had to be strong now and keep on lying. 

“Oh,” was the first thing he said, “I wasn’t planning to anyway, but… yeah. It’s just a date, though, we’ll catch a few drinks and maybe I’ll- give him my phone number, but that’s it.” 

Again, Chanyeol waved it off by turning his upper body away, his gaze casted downwards now, “God, Baek, you don’t have to justify yourself to me. You almost make it sound like we’re dating and you got caught cheating.”

The hallway went silent, neither of them speaking after that comment, but Baekhyun’s mind was anything but peaceful. 

The fact he had unknowingly been put in the shoes of all those assholes that hadn’t accepted his love and had run to search for it in other places, what did that say about Chanyeol? 

Did it mean he was waiting for Baekhyun to acknowledge his feelings, or was he really off here thinking about it like that?

He couldn’t take the endless presumptions his mind was feeding him, and so Baekhyun whispered a soft, “Right,” before he turned around and opened the door.

Stepping outside and breathing in the fresh air, the suffocating feeling subdued some, and he threw a small smile over his shoulder in the hopes Chanyeol wouldn’t think the words had meant anything to him. 

Then, without saying anything more, Baekhyun walked away. 

\---


	6. Spiralling Out of Control

With a deep sigh and he slid into the booth across from Jongin and Sehun, who had seemingly arrived before him. 

The couple had been lost in conversation, faces close and hands linked on top of the table. However, when they saw Baekhyun sit down they retreated, creating space between their bodies as if their friend wasn’t allowed to see their intimacy.

More than anything, it was a sign that they felt sorry for him and didn’t want to show off their love too much in front of him. At that, Baekhyun sighed only louder, his pout protruding as he sunk a little deeper to wallow in self pity, “Get me anything alcoholic, asap, please.”

After one shared look between the couple, Sehun was the one who left the booth to get them drinks while Jongin stayed behind. 

This made Baekhyun throw an arm up over his eyes as he groaned quietly, knowing he was about to be interrogated. So before Jongin could say anything, he whined loudly, giving him the gist of what had happened, “This was the worst idea ever, I am never listening to you again.”

“What? Why, what happened?” the questions came, as expected. Jongin sounded like he was trying not to laugh, as if this was in any way funny, and Baekhyun threw him a deadly glare to show him it really wasn’t. 

“What happened?! I made a complete fool out of myself, of course,” Baekhyun threw back as he finally straightened himself again, “He was confused and then said it was because he knew I couldn’t bring my date home, and then I said that I would never do that even if I could and then he told me I didn’t have to justify myself because we weren’t dating and now I fucking hate myself.”

Jongin’s eyebrows slowly raised the more Baekhyun told him, and if he wouldn’t be careful his eyes would be popping out of their sockets soon. 

When Baekhyun had finished ranting, his eyebrows stayed up as far as they had gotten, and Jongin leaned his chin on his hand and looked at his best friend with this intense gaze that only made him confused. 

“You’re kidding me, right?” he asked, angel Jongin making way for devil Jongin judging by the twinkling glint appearing in his gaze, “he really did say all of that?”

“Jongin! Why would I be lying?” Baekhyun huffed back as he crossed his arms in utter annoyance, “I’m pretty sure he will never come babysit again. Especially not because I fucking underpay him.”

“God, you’re truly the dumbest person I know, Baek,” Jongin told him with a shake of his head, just as Sehun put down the first shot in front of the upset boy.

Baekhyun took it and threw it back within seconds, loving the burn it left down his throat and the instant warmth that ran through his chest, “He called me that too, by the way… Baek.”

When he put down the glass, Sehun gave him a refill, his smile matching his boyfriend’s. They were both the most annoying people ever, Baekhyun decided at that moment. Maybe he should be glad he didn’t see them often. 

“Really?” Jongin’s tall and sneaky boyfriend asked, joining the conversation as if he hadn’t missed most of it, “was it the first time he did?”

With his fingers on the shot glass, Baekhyun tried to recall if he had ever heard it before. Did Chanyeol call him that more often, or had it been a slip of the tongue? “You know, I can’t for the life of me remember and I don’t care.” 

Again, he swallowed the liquor without thinking or really tasting it on his tongue before it went down his throat. If he could, if he didn’t have Bom at home, he’d love to get absolutely hammered right now, but he couldn’t. 

“Interesting,” Jongin whispered, his eyes narrowing as he carefully watched his best friend lick the rim of the tiny glass as if that would get him to forget all of this sooner. 

“I’m kind of hoping he’ll rob my apartment now so I can win and we can put this all behind us,” Baekhyun lamented, pouting at the table instead of his friends, vividly remembering the strange look on Chanyeol’s face as he had told him about the date. 

A date that wasn’t actually there at all. How pathetic was he?

“I think you’re getting exactly what you were hoping for. I don’t see why you’re so down about it,” Jongin told him while he kicked his best friend’s shin under the table. 

Next to him, Sehun laughed and threw his arm around Jongin’s shoulder, finally relaxing some. His smile was radiant and loving, and he even leaned in to kiss his boyfriend’s cheek before he said, “Yeah, this all reminds me of how Jongin and I got together.” 

Jongin huffed, showing he didn’t want to talk about it, but Baekhyun’s interest picked up. 

Although they were best friends, he had never fully heard the story of how he and Sehun had gotten together. He had just shown up at work one day telling Baekhyun he was ‘sort of dating’ and that it would probably be official soon. 

Baekhyun knew where they had met and when, but that was about it. And so right now, with Sehun opening up, he couldn’t help but forget his worries about Chanyeol and focus on getting out that story, finally. 

“Oh, how?” he asked, leaning forward on the table to show he wasn’t going to let it slip.

“It really doesn’t-” Jongin began with a wave of his hand, only to get interrupted by Sehun as he completely ignored his boyfriend’s unwillingness to share. 

“This man, oh my god,” Sehun laughed and shook his head, “I’ve never seen anyone play this hard to get.”

Baekhyun stared between the two of them, finding it hard to believe that Jongin had indeed been playing hard to get. He was such a softie that fell for a stranger’s kindness within the blink of an eye. 

Had he not been interested in Sehun at first? Had that been it?

“I took him out for several coffee dates, bought him cute little presents, and did everything I knew possible to show him that I liked him, but he never gave me any clue as to whether he was interested or not. Not even when I full on confessed to him. I thought he was clueless up until that moment, but he hadn’t been. He had just been extremely careful with his heart.” 

A smile made its way onto Baekhyun’s face as he thought back to that time and how flushed Jongin had gotten when he had told his best friend of the guy he was seeing. Had it really gone like this? The silence on Jongin’s end would suggest so. 

“Okay, but what does this have to do with me and Chanyeol?” he asked then, remembering the link Sehun had made between their situations.

Sehun’s chuckle almost made it sound as if he thought Baekhyun was an idiot for not seeing it yet, but thankfully whether he felt that way or not didn’t stop him from explaining.

“I gave Jongin presents and took him on coffee dates, but Chanyeol takes care of your child pretty much for free and he feeds you too,” he compared, “he’s a cook, and a good one, so for him to spend that much time on you has to have a reason.” 

“And like with Jongin, you’re either not seeing it or are being so careful in your behaviour that he wouldn’t dare take the next step,” Sehun concluded, looking like he had just figured it all out. 

“I mean, as much as I’d love to believe you, I don’t think it is like that. Besides, how does his work at Bom’s school link at all?” Baekhyun huffed, completely ignoring the other parts - for obvious reasons.

Sehun’s gaze turned to Jongin, face incredulous, and Jongin elbowed him in the ribs and tried to smile it off, but unfortunately the move hadn’t gone unnoticed. Baekhyun stayed confused for a moment longer before he realised. 

They were hiding something. Jongin knew something that he didn’t.

“You didn’t tell him?” Sehun spluttered through the hurt, face pulling in pain, and Jongin became over dramatic as he pretended he wasn’t to blame for anything.

“I- No, I didn’t, Baekhyun needs to figure this out on his own,” Jongin’s pout was possibly even cuter than his best friend’s, but knowing he was holding back something important made it lose all its power.

“I need to figure out what? Jongin, come on, you know I’m the most dense person ever so just tell me!” Baekhyun all but yelled, his hands curling into fists that he slammed on the table in frustration. 

With one last deadly glare sent Sehun’s way, Jongin finally turned to his best friend and gave up fighting it. He sighed, “Okay, fine. I wasn’t going to tell you because I wanted you to realise the truth without knowing this, but I guess Sehun ruined it.” 

While his boyfriend talked, Sehun filled Baekhyun’s shot glass again. The alcohol poured to the rim and Baekhyun worried for a second that he was about to receive some very impactful news. Why else would he be served another shot? 

“Okay, so,” Jongin finally began, his fingers entwining on the table, “once you told me about this Chanyeol, I did some research. You’ve been hurt too many times for me to just sit back and let another asshole into your life, but what I found pretty much confirmed what I already knew.” 

“And that is…?” Baekhyun asked quietly as he felt his heartbeat become impossibly loud in his ears, his nerves having tripled. 

Sehun seemed incredibly excited to watch his reaction to what Jongin was about to say, and that only made Baekhyun worry more.

“Well, see, Chanyeol is much busier than you think he is,” Jongin dropped, “because after he starts his day at the school and goes over to yours, he isn’t exactly done working.”

“What do you mean?” Baekhyun asked, still so far from catching on to what his best friend was trying to say. 

“Baek… after he leaves you, he doesn’t go home. Chanyeol owns his own restaurant in town. He’s the owner and the main chef there, but lately he’s been working less and working late because he’s occupied until early in the evenings. He runs a restaurant and still he takes time out of his busy schedule to be your ‘nanny’.” 

The world around Baekhyun faded at the edges and he somehow felt like he was shrinking in on himself. His view swam, switching between focused and blurry every other second, and Baekhyun quickly reached for the shot of alcohol so he had something to ground him.

His mind was overflowing with thoughts and questions, trying to make sense of it all. Of why on earth Chanyeol would be wasting his time with him when he had a whole damn restaurant to run. It didn’t make sense, or well, Baekhyun refused to let it make sense. 

“How do you know it’s his, though?” he asked, feeling like there had to be something wrong with Jongin’s story. It definitely couldn’t be true.

However, his best friend got out his phone and scrolled through it to find a picture that he presented to Baekhyun. In it he saw a business card with the name of the restaurant as well as Chanyeol’s name right underneath it. 

“I wanted to make sure I was right so I went there to check. I talked to this waiter named Lay and he said Chanyeol is the boss and he works there most of the week, but lately he hasn’t been coming in until at least seven at night. He stays longer to compensate, but no one knows why he’s always late.”

Baekhyun was left absolutely speechless, a vision forming in his head of Chanyeol running out his door to head to his next job and then straight to bed to do it all over again. He really spent his entire day working. 

He cooked for the kids, cooked for him and Bom and then for the customers in his restaurant. 

Maybe he should have realised when Chanyeol sent him his blog. Maybe he should have thought of why exactly he’d have that if he only worked at Bom’s primary school. 

He had never figured it out, though. Chanyeol had never rushed to get away from them, nor had he ever complained about how Baekhyun would get home late. There was nothing that could have given this away. 

Which was exactly why it was so hard for him to believe that it was real. That Chanyeol would really give up his spare time, which was apparently rare, to spend it with him and Bom.

“But- but why would he keep such a thing from me?” Baekhyun asked then, “because he’d worry I would feel even worse about not paying him properly? Or so I wouldn’t rush him every day? I mean, I would have, but is that why?”

Within moments, Sehun’s sneaky grin disappeared, making way for confusion and uncertainty. Jongin however laughed, throwing his head back against the wall of the booth, “For real now, Baek? You’re going to find every reason possible that would confirm that he doesn’t like you, aren’t you?”

“Well, how can I be sure it’s more than that? I’m tired of getting my hopes up only to have them be crushed in the worst way imaginable. Don’t you understand that?” Baekhyun felt desperation leak in as he thought of how much it would hurt to lose Chanyeol that way. 

“Of course I do, I’ve watched you go through all of that shit, multiple times,” Jongin threw back, voice passionate, “which is exactly why I’m able to see this time things are different. Besides, no one is this selfless, Baekhyun.”

“You don’t know that! You don’t know Chanyeol,” Baekhyun said, his voice cracking, “maybe he’s working up to the moment where he can kidnap Bom without her struggling?! Because you know what, to me that makes more sense than him liking me. Fuck, Jongin, he was married to a girl once, I don’t even know if he likes guys...”

“Oh, for fuck’s sake, Baekhyun, you’re being ridiculous,” Jongin was getting frustrated now, but Baekhyun refused to let that guilt trip him. “You say I’m looking at things with too much positivity, but you’re nothing but gloom and doom.”

“It’s a Friday night. The weekend is one of the busiest times as a restaurant owner. Yet rather than saying he was preoccupied, he allowed you to go out with friends and got slightly pissed when you mentioned a date. I don’t know how much more obvious it should get,” Jongin went on when Baekhyun didn’t reply. 

But Baekhyun simply couldn’t understand. He couldn’t see it the way his friends clearly saw it, and he wasn’t sure whether that was a good thing or not. Was he saving himself from getting hurt, or was he preventing himself from finding happiness?

“I want to go home,” he ended up saying, feeling much too heavy to sit there and have fun any longer. The mood was entirely gone. 

“Really now? We haven’t been here even half an hour. We haven’t seen each other in far too long and yet you want to leave because of this?” Jongin asked, sounding like Baekhyun had actually insulted him by suggesting it, and okay, Baekhyun could understand why.

He fidgeted in his seat, trying desperately to feel a little more at ease, “yeah, well, no- I mean, I don’t feel comfortable now without Bom here. What if she’s upset that I’m gone or can’t sleep, or something goes terribly wrong and I’m not there?”

Sehun’s snort was so loud Baekhyun was actually startled by it. “If that were true then Chanyeol would have called you already. This is just another excuse as to why you should leave.”

Neither boys were falling for his lies, and Baekhyun couldn’t exactly say he was surprised. His arguments were all weak, improbable, and his friends knew him better than to believe them.

“Text him then,” Jongin suggested, this daring glare on his face told Baekhyun he was still pissed off but was trying to turn it into somewhat of a good thing, “ask him how Bom is doing. If Bom is fine, you stay.”

Baekhyun grumbled, not exactly feeling ecstatic about the prospect of having to text Chanyeol, but then again if he were to go home he would have to face the man as well. Maybe texting was easier.

With a small huff to save his face, he fished his phone out of his pocket and opened his chat with Chanyeol. Or,  _ Chanyeori _ . 

**Baekhyun** : how’s Bom doing? Did she go to bed without struggling? Sleeping peacefully now?

**Chanyeori** : hey you, yes she is! She wanted to stay up so badly but she fell asleep on the couch against me so I carried her to bed soon after. She didn’t even wake up when I tucked her in. Easy night.

**Baekhyun** : I see, that’s good!

**Chanyeori** : yes  🙂

**Chanyeori** : hope you’re having fun with your friends and that the praying helped with the date.

Baekhyun knew he was supposed to reply with something witty and funny about his fake date now, with the way Chanyeol had attempted to steer the conversation in that direction, but he couldn’t do it. Not after the things he just heard from Jongin.

Rather than that, he wished he could be daring enough to actually ask Chanyeol about whether he had feelings for him or not. 

Still, asking straight out wasn’t something Baekhyun would ever do in his life, which was why he settled on using one of those feeble excuses his mind had made up to explain Chanyeol’s behaviour of earlier that night. 

**Baekhyun** : hey, just wondering, but were you weirded out about me going on a date because it was with a guy? 

**Chanyeori** : What? No? Why would you think that?

**Baekhyun** : because you were acting strange about it and seeing as I’m into guys and you’re into girls, I just thought maybe it was that.

**Chanyeori** : Baekhyun I’ve known you were gay from the very beginning why would I suddenly find it an issue? You were misreading my reaction...

**Baekhyun** : so you don’t mind that I’m into guys? 

**Chanyeori** : why would I? It would be quite hypocritical if my bisexual ass was homophobic

**Baekhyun** : wait you’re bi??????

**Chanyeori** : yeah? I told you before, why are you so shocked?

**Baekhyun** : you did not!

**Chanyeori** : yes I did! 

**Baekhyun** : well I never heard you say it!! 

**Chanyeori** : How am I supposed to know you didn’t!? Besides, what does it matter?

As if he had gotten burnt by those words, Baekhyun dropped his phone on the table and hid his face in his hands. 

His eyes fell shut as his heart thudded away in his chest, making him lose it once again because what the hell? When had Chanyeol told him he was bisexual? 

Had he been lost in his thoughts at that particular moment, perhaps caught up staring at his handsome face? How could he have missed something that important? 

But then again, was it really important? Because what did it matter? That’s what Chanyeol was wondering. 

“Baek, what happened?” Jongin asked, genuine worry now in his voice, but Baekhyun only shook his head in answer. He was left unable to speak. 

It clearly wasn’t enough for his best friend, however, because the guy snatched his phone away and quickly read over the conversation Baekhyun and Chanyeol had just had. 

How embarrassing to have his night end up like this…now instead of wanting to go home, he wanted to stay at that bar forever. 

Across the table, Jongin started laughing a near hysterical laugh that finally got Baekhyun to open his eyes and look up at him. 

“My god, Baekhyun, I feel so sorry for Chanyeol right now,” his best friend said with a slow shake of his head, “you truly are so dense, no wonder he hasn’t made his move.”

“What?” Baekhyun retorted, feeling suddenly attacked because Jongin was making fun of him. It was something his best friend hadn’t often done, not about serious matters anyway, but here he was now. 

“Poor him,” Sehun butted in, “he dropped the fact he’s bi a while ago, thinking you must have heard him, yet your stupid ass somehow didn’t register it. I bet he must be feeling gutted right now.”

Baekhyun slammed his hands down on the table again, his palms hurting from the force, but he didn’t notice it at all, “You are insane, do you know that? You’re worse than the old me who looked for love in almost fucking everyone. You’re seeing things that aren’t there. Look, he ended it with ‘why does it matter?’, did you not see that?!”

Jongin hummed, his smile still as bright, “Sure I did. Makes sense though, because he’s feeling you out. He thought you knew he was bi, but you didn’t, and now you do he wants to know if it changes anything. If you’d reply with something flirty now, he’d know whether to be more obvious or not.” 

“Hell no, I’m not doing that,” Baekhyun was already trying to reach for his phone, needing to get it away from the devil that was Kim Jongin, “Jongin, hand it back.” 

Sehun, the little shit that he was, helped his boyfriend by creating a barrier with his hands to prevent Baekhyun from reaching them. All the while, Jongin typed a reply on behalf of Baekhyun. 

“You can’t do this, it’s not okay to just take my phone and-” “Baekhyun, please, I’m tired of watching you hurting yourself when you could end up happily in love with this guy. I’ve always taken care of you, and I’m doing so now, too.”

Before he knew it, the phone was on the table again and the struggle had stopped. Jongin had sent a message. 

Baekhyun grabbed the phone with both hands and looked at what his best friend had sent with absolute fear coursing through his veins. He was on the verge of crying or maybe even puking, and it didn’t lessen when he saw what Jongin had typed.

His best friend hadn’t been too straightforward, luckily. The reply was vague but suggestive, and although it wasn’t the worst it still made Baekhyun feel like the world was ending. Chanyeol would surely understand. 

**Baekhyun** : it matters because it changes everything.

Chanyeol had already seen it, had read those words, but he hadn’t replied yet and he wasn’t typing either. 

Thinking it was probably a good thing he wasn’t, Baekhyun handed his phone back to Jongin and told him, “Keep it for now. I don’t want to know what he says and I don’t want to hear about him again for the rest of the night. I’ll deal with it when I get home. Just, please…stop.” 

Then, once his best friend had taken the phone from his hand, Baekhyun grabbed the bottle of alcohol Sehun had been pouring from and instead of filling his tiny shot glass, he raised the bottle up to his mouth and tipped up his chin until the liquor was rushing down his throat. 

“So now what, are you going to get drunk just because you’re scared of finding out what he’ll say?” Jongin asked him, still holding the phone in his hands as if he was expecting Baekhyun to ask for it back any second now. 

However, the latter started nodding in agreement. The alcohol sloshed around in his mouth as he moved, but he swallowed so he could ask, “I don’t get why you’re asking. I thought you knew me better than I know myself.”

Jongin rolled his eyes at the comment, thinking Baekhyun was being childish about the entire matter. He really didn’t seem to understand how much was at stake for Baekhyun here. Not just him, Bom too. Had his best friend even thought about her?

Thinking about his daughter made his heart ache suddenly, and in frustration he pointed an accusing finger in Jongin’s direction, “Listen to me, Kim Jongin, if this text ends up ruining everything with Chanyeol,  _ you  _ are the one to answer to Bom’s sadness. It will break her heart if he leaves us.”

Jongin didn’t seem scared by this. He only rolled his eyes again and let out a dry chuckle along with it, which made Baekhyun’s anger flare, but he knew it was pointless to argue any more. 

His best friend was certain he was right, whereas Baekhyun was so scared of being wrong. 

With a quiet sigh, overpowered by the bass of the music, he dropped his head in his hands again and closed his eyes. 

“Sehuuuuuuun, get me more,” he whined, asking for him to go get them more alcohol. 

He was sure none of them had expected their night to play out like this. Or maybe they had, in a way, but without thinking it could have actually gone this far. 

Jongin must have known, with their plan in place, Baekhyun wouldn’t have been able to really focus on his friends no matter how hard he would have tried. But now with this entire mess he was sure he would end up being a shitty friend for the rest of the night, not even asking about them and their lives.

Yet neither of them said anything bad about it. 

Sehun went and bought another bottle, most of which was downed by Baekhyun himself, and although they talked some, most of the night was spent in silence.

Until it was an acceptable time to leave the bar. Baekhyun told himself that was why they were heading out, not because he was out of his mind drunk. Which he absolutely was. 

“Bommie, Bommie, Bom,” Baekhyun slurred as he leaned heavily on Jongin’s shoulder. His friend held on to him tightly, the smaller’s arm wrapped around his neck and his own around a slender waist. 

Sehun was on Baekhyun’s other side, helping steer the intoxicated man whenever he would head in the wrong direction. His touch was subtle enough that the drunk man didn’t even notice it, yet hard enough to get those flopping limbs to move.

Baekhyun continued repeating his daughter’s name, hoping it would help to keep his thoughts on her rather than the man who was babysitting her right now. However, with every step he took he felt heavier and heavier. 

He became slower the closer to home they got, and Jongin noticed it as well, “Come on, Baek, if we go at it like this we won’t be back before morning.”

Then, when Baekhyun didn’t change his speed at all, he sighed and told him, “I’ll go up with you if you’re that worried about it. I’ll get you to bed and will see Chanyeol out. Nothing will have to happen, just...move, please.”

Baekhyun knew his friend had meddled in his love life enough for one night, and because Jongin had always taken care of him when he needed it, he decided to trust his words at least this once tonight. 

“Fine,” he grumbled as he tried to walk twice as fast as he had been doing. It probably didn’t change a lot at all, but seen as his friends stopped whining he must have improved some. 

Time meant nothing while they walked. It could have been minutes or even hours since they had left the bar, Baekhyun couldn’t tell. But what he could tell was that his building was coming up. And that he wasn’t ready.

He tried to keep walking, feigning ignorance, but Jongin tugged his body back and Sehun’s hand was on his collar as he tried to escape, “Nice try, Byun.”

Trying to go for his best pout didn’t work, because before he could even show it to his friends they were already dragging him into the apartment complex. They spoke in hushed tones, discussing what to do next, and in the end it was only Jongin who went up to his floor with him. 

The elevator ride was spent in silence, with Baekhyun leaning heavily on Jongin’s body now without the support of his tall boyfriend. But his best friend never faltered or told him he was too hefty, which was exactly what their friendship had always been like. 

The steps down the hallway were heavier than ever, like his feet were stuck to the floor. It was as if they knew what he was about to find, what he would have to face, and they wanted to stop it. 

Jongin again pulled him through it, forcing his best friend’s body to move all the way to the front door of his apartment. 

There, he didn’t bother asking for Baekhyun’s keys. Too tired to move any more, he rang the doorbell, which was stupid because it could wake up Bom, and it meant they wouldn’t be able to sneak him into the bedroom where he could pass out before Chanyeol even got to talk to him. 

Just as he was about to say this, the door already opened. 

Baekhyun’s lips stayed parted as his eyes travelled to a frantic looking Chanyeol, who stood there with his eyes wide and fierce. His curly hair was messier than usual and the top buttons of his blouse unbuttoned, and Baekhyun swore he had never looked so stunning. 

Drunk Baekhyun wanted to slur a stupid ‘you’re beautiful’ to get the thought out, but he thankfully didn’t get a chance to, because Chanyeol had said his name and stolen every thought from his fuzzy brain. 

Chanyeol’s gaze moved from him to Jongin, and Baekhyun watched as the realisation that he wasn’t alone changed his entire posture. Those eyes instantly turned hard and closed off, his shoulders straightened, and before Jongin could even explain himself, Chanyeol had stepped aside to let them in.

Knowing that going inside was more important right now, Jongin helped Baekhyun in through the hallway and to the living room. 

There he sat him down on the couch, which was so far away from his bed that Baekhyun started to protest, “No, no. Bed. Take me. Bed.”

Jongin kissed his teeth and shook his head, “No, you need water.” 

“I’ll go get it,” came from behind them, Chanyeol’s voice lacking its usual warmth, and Baekhyun’s heart ached as he realised it must be because of him. Because he realised Baekhyun liked him and he didn’t feel the same way. He shouldn’t have believed stupid Jongin. 

“Listen to me,” said stupid best friend told him as he kneeled down in front of him, “Play along a little okay? Just don’t say anything. I want to see something.”

Baekhyun shook his head, tired of absolutely everything, “No, Jongin. No more games…”

“Here you go,” Chanyeol could be heard from some distance away, talking as he had turned the corner, and Jongin quickly got up again and took the glass from the taller’s hand.

“Thank you,” he replied before leaning back in to help Baekhyun drink some, his eyes persistent as he looked at his best friend but spoke to Chanyeol, “I- uh, I don’t think we’ve met. I’m Jongin.”

“No, we haven’t,” came the reply, still as cold and detached as before, “It’s Chanyeol.” 

Baekhyun could hear him speak, but he wasn’t watching to see what was happening between the two. If he had, he might have seen the possessive look on Chanyeol’s face as Jongin helped him drink. 

“Nice to meet you,” Jongin continued when he finally rose to his feet again, the glass now securely in Baekhyun’s hand, “I didn’t expect to find someone like you here. I thought Baekhyun had a nanny.” 

Baekhyun realised his best friend was purposely looking for some sort of an argument, and this was confirmed with his next words, “Didn’t realise he was actually seeing someone already.”

Behind them, Baekhyun choked on the water he had just swallowed, which prevented him from saying anything at all. Besides, as they were lost in their argument, neither his best friend nor his crush appeared to notice the issue. 

“I can see why you’d think that, but-” whatever words Chanyeol had been planning to say were interrupted when another presence entered the room.

“Uncle Jongin!” was yelled from the doorway, after which the pitter-patter sound Baekhyun so loved, made its way to where Jongin was standing. 

Incapable of keeping up his act anymore, Jongin bent down and lifted the little girl up into his arms, the way he would always do when she came to greet him. 

He hugged her close to his body and peppered her face in kisses as he said, “Oh no, why is my little marshmallow awake? Were we being too loud?”

Bom giggled before she agreed to this, her arms wrapped tightly around Jongin’s neck, “Yes, but it’s okay because it’s uncle Jongin and I love uncle Jongin!”

Baekhyun turned his head sideways enough to take in the scene, seeing the two closest to his heart there first. But behind them stood a speechless Chanyeol, his lips parted in confusion and eyebrows furrowed to match. 

Although Bom and Jongin felt like warmth, Baekhyun was ice cold. Because he understood how everything was falling apart. Even his best friend’s stupid attempt at playing his date had become a mess, and now there was nothing left but chaos. 

Feeling hollow and powerless, unable to see anything positive happening after this night, Baekhyun returned his gaze to the floor. He was close to tears and still so cold, but he had to accept that was how it would be now. 

Wrapping his arms around himself, he sucked his lower lip into his mouth in an attempt not to cry. It was pretty futile, so he kind of hoped Jongin would take a little longer with Bom, being a good distraction. 

Of course, Baekhyun wasn’t that lucky.

His best friend evidently thought it was best if he and Chanyeol had some alone time, because he loudly announced for both of them to hear, “Let me get you back to bed then, cutie. It’s not good for you to be awake at this time. You can see your papa and Chanyeol later.” 

With a disbelieving chuckle, Baekhyun’s final restraints broke and in rushed the water, coming at him like a tidal wave. Squeezing his eyes shut didn’t help, because tears were forming and they’d have to come out sooner or later. 

He just hoped Chanyeol would pack up his stuff and leave, no questions asked and no explanations needed. Baekhyun would understand. He’d be fine with it, happy even, because it was better than getting rejected verbally.

“Baek?” 

The sound of his name startled him as it was much closer than expected, and a second later it was followed by a hand on his upper arm. It was warm against his frozen skin. 

When he opened his eyes, he could see Chanyeol’s knees in his peripheral vision. The taller had sat himself down next to Baekhyun and was checking in on him. However, the gesture only made the smaller cry that much harder. 

_ ‘Here we go again _ ’ his mind said.

The hand on his upper arm slid down and grabbed Baekhyun’s wrist to get it away from his face. It was the side Chanyeol could see best, of course, and Baekhyun turned his face away so the man wouldn’t be able to see his tears. 

“Hey, don’t cry,” Chanyeol said, his voice way softer and warmer than he had sounded up till now. 

He took a better hold of Baekhyun’s hand, palms sliding together, and although it was meant to be sweet, the entire thing just flew over his head as he started ranting an apology.

“I’m sorry,” he bawled, “I’m sorry I lied about having a date. Sorry I texted you stupid things. I’m sorry for coming home drunk. It’s okay, I’ll forget all about it, just…please don’t leave us. Bom would be so devastated, Chanyeol, please.”

“Baekhyun, what even are you- stop this,” Chanyeol retaliated, now getting up his free hand too to let his thumb brush away the tears he could reach. Baekhyun felt absolutely embarrassed by it. “Stop crying, please, I can’t stand seeing you like this.”

Baekhyun took it as a bad sign, that his crying was ugly and stupid, which was probably very true, and he stopped at once. 

In an attempt to hide, he tried to turn his body completely, but Chanyeol wouldn’t allow it. He grabbed Baekhyun’s wrist tighter and forced his other arm away too, leaving him unprotected and on display. 

“Look, you just have to help me understand, okay? I’m not very good at this. Apparently neither of us are,” a chuckle followed, one Baekhyun didn’t understand, “but I’m not letting go until you explain yourself to me.”

Baekhyun paused, thinking of whether he actually had anything left to lose, and he figured he really didn’t. What would happen now, would happen. The least he could do was make sure Chanyeol understood what exactly was going on with him. 

“Well,” he started, not sure where to begin with the story, but he figured this night was most important, “I did want to see my friends, that wasn’t a lie. Jongin and Sehun always ask me to hang out, but I’m too tired most days and I can’t leave Bom. But also…” 

He paused to hiccup and swallow down the bile that had threatened to come up in his nervous, drunken state, “Jongin interrogated me about you and he said no one would babysit for free unless they have some other motive, so he wanted to test and see if maybe it’s because-” 

Unable to say it, he skipped over the most important part, hoping Chanyeol could fill in the blanks himself, “so he made me pretend to have a date and he kept pestering me even though I didn’t want to ri-risk it because Bom likes you so much.”

It was quiet for some time while Chanyeol gathered his thoughts, and it lasted long enough for Baekhyun to want to look up just to see if he was actually paying attention still. 

The man’s eyes showed a battle within, and judging from the way his mouth twisted, there were too many thoughts rushing through his head at the same time. 

In the end their eyes met, gazes locking and unable to move from the second they had realised. And then Chanyeol’s lips parted. 

“And you, do you also like me so much?” 

The question hung in the air, and Baekhyun for a second wondered if it had actually been asked. Maybe it was his intoxicated brain imagining things. But Chanyeol’s eyes were asking him the same, and Baekhyun found himself zoning out.

With his heartbeat loudly beating in his ears and the alcohol in his blood making him sleepy, he felt like he was about to pass out from actual panic. Because he was supposed to answer this, and waiting too long would be bad too. 

How he got to talking he didn’t know, but he heard himself speak through the thundering of his pulse, and judging from Chanyeol’s sudden, bright smile, he had said the right thing. 

“I really do.”

That smile grew until the dimple on the side showed, and Baekhyun wanted to lean in and kiss it. As he was thinking about it, his body apparently followed, because before he knew it he was tilting over and Chanyeol had caught him as he fell.

He wrapped his arms around Baekhyun and laughed at his clumsiness, holding him tightly and even squeezing him a little closer. “God, we were really dumb, weren’t we?”

Baekhyun wanted to ask why, if he was misunderstanding things again, but before he could, the lights finally went out. 

\--


	7. After Darkness Comes Light

When Baekhyun drifted back into consciousness, the first thing he felt was a warmth surrounding him on all sides. It was wrapped tightly around him, taking away any feelings of anxiety and trying to lure him back into sleepy contentment. 

Squeezing one eye open, he fought that desire, hoping to find that the source of his heat was a pair of arms he could swear he had felt right before he had passed out, too. 

Unfortunately, the only thing keeping him warm was his duvet. 

He was in his bed, in his own bedroom, somehow having been moved there after he had blacked out, and his sheets had been tucked in at both sides almost as if to keep him still throughout the night.

Judging from the light coming in through the window, it was morning already. He had slept through the night, something so rare he couldn’t remember the last time it had happened. He was sure that it had been years, though. 

Baekhyun tried to recall what happened the night before and how he had ended up in bed, but things remained vague no matter how hard he tried. 

The alcohol had clearly been a bad idea, but even though there was a gap in his memory, he didn’t regret it. It had helped him cope with the situation, resulting in him waking up in bed alone, but with his heart still pretty much intact. 

As he stretched out, a yawn escaping him, he considered what could have happened and there were only two plausible alternatives. 

The first was that he had embarrassed himself to a point where Chanyeol had just upped and left, meaning Jongin must have gotten Bom back to bed and then him too before leaving them to go home with his boyfriend. 

The second was, for whatever reason, Chanyeol hadn’t been disgusted by his lies and had helped Baekhyun to bed. Maybe he had left to go to his restaurant afterwards the way he had probably planned to. 

The point was he was alone, and whatever had happened, what would undoubtedly help him figure it out was his phone. But as far as he knew, his phone was still with Jongin. He didn’t remember getting it back from him. 

Done stretching, Baekhyun pushed himself to sit up, immediately regretting it as the world went spinning. He turned to the bedside table for stability only to find everything he needed was right there. Someone had left a glass of water, along with some ibuprofen, and his phone. Jongin maybe? Chanyeol? He hated not knowing. 

Missing a few hours of a night was bad even in a normal situation, but with this night it was even worse. He couldn’t remember all the things he and Chanyeol had discussed and so he couldn’t decide whether they were okay or if he’d fucked things up the way he had expected to. 

He decided taking the ibuprofen was definitely a priority before picking up his phone, and so he swallowed the pills and gulped down most of the water before he finally reached for the device. 

There were zero new notifications on his lock screen, which told him absolutely nothing, but he unlocked it anyway. Maybe he’d find some messages he could have sent the night before, after he had been put to bed.

However, he quickly found he hadn’t touched it since Jongin had taken it from him at the bar. It appeared he wasn’t going to find an answer that easily.

His eyes zoomed in on the unread messages he had from Chanyeol, with the final one being just his name, and he was scared to open them and read them. Were these sent last night, before he had gotten home? Or after? What could they possibly say?

Baekhyun felt close to throwing up just thinking about it. However, before he’d face this monster, he settled on taking care of something a bit easier first. 

Texting Jongin wasn’t in any way difficult. He knew his best friend would be there for him, he’d be honest too, and so he simply sent him a ‘what happened last night?’ and got that over and done with.

Now, Baekhyun wouldn’t say he was prepared to open Chanyeol’s messages at all, but the point was, they had probably already seen each other after these were sent, and if they had been horrible then their parting would have been horrible, too.

He couldn’t remember everything, but he did clearly recall himself falling into Chanyeol’s arms and him not pulling away, so this - as nervous as it made him - couldn’t be the end of the world. 

As he touched the chat and it opened, his eyes first went to his final words, or more like Jongin’s final words. They were still there, loud and clear in their meaning, and Baekhyun’s eyebrows furrowed in the same way they had done the first time he had looked at it. 

Now, though, there were new words underneath it. Chanyeol’s reply, which he had so desperately been trying to ignore, was right there.

**Chanyori:** It changes everything how? Baekhyun that can mean two things…

**Chanyori** : One would have you kick me out, the other would pull me in closer

**Chanyori:** don’t go now…please, don’t let me wait for you to come home like this. I’m gonna go crazy. 

**Chanyori:** are you saying what I think you’re saying?

**Chanyori:** what I hope you’re saying?

**Chanyori:** Baekhyun, please, come home so we can talk?

**Chanyori:** Baekhyun

While reading, Baekhyun’s mouth had gone dry and his heart had surged up from his chest to his throat. These messages...made it sound like Chanyeol felt the same way, and suddenly he wished he hadn’t drunk so much.

He wanted to remember the talk they’d had, wanted to be able to understand why Chanyeol wasn’t there with him right now, if he had meant what he had written here. Had drunk Baekhyun been the one to fuck things up when they could have played out so well?

Closing his eyes for a moment, Baekhyun thought of what to say. He knew that whatever it was, it had to be something that came from the heart. Complete and utter honesty, no more lying or beating around the bush. 

It took him minutes to type the perfect thing and to have the guts to send it, but when he pressed the button and the message went Chanyeol’s way, a burst of relief and even excitement exploded inside his stomach. 

He had tried to suppress his feelings for so long, but now he figures the least he could do was enjoy what was left between them, and if it was nothing then let it end with him having those loving feelings towards Chanyeol without asking for anything in return. 

**Baekhyun:** I’m sorry about yesterday, I really am. It wasn’t fair of me to play it like that, but it happened. That being said…you are right. I was saying what you thought I was saying. Chanyeol, you’re absolutely perfect in every way. You’re handsome, you can cook well, you have the kindest heart and sweetest smile, and I’ve fallen for all of it even though I told myself not to. I’ve told you before how much Bom loves having you around, but she’s not the only one. I do too. I’m sorry if it’s not what you want to hear and it’s okay if you don’t feel the same. I just think that after last night, it’s time I came clean and told you the truth. 

Feeling at peace with himself, he put his phone back on the nightstand and snuggled back up in the sheets again, hoping to get a bit more time to himself before Bom would wake up and barge into his room. 

Yet, when he had barely gotten the covers up over his shoulders again, his door opened and in came his flurry of brightness, feet skidding across the floor as she ran in and screamed, “Good morning, dadaaaaaaaa!”

Baekhyun pulled the covers up even higher, hiding under them completely, and he soon felt little fingers tugging on the corners as she tried to see his face. 

He gave up fighting quickly, knowing he’d worry his daughter if he’d drag it on for too long. Letting go of the sheets, he waited for her to pull on them again so he could pop out from underneath and use the surprise to grab a hold of her. 

It worked out perfectly as she squealed as she fell into his arms, locked tightly against her father’s body. Baekhyun laughed as he hugged her to him, completely missing the other presence in the room, and he left a dozen kisses on her cheek and forehead until she got tired of it.

When she rolled off to the side, Baekhyun finally looked up and found it wasn’t just Bom that had come into the room. 

Someone holding a tray with juices and foods. Someone who looked something between frightened and excited, which was exactly how Baekhyun felt in that moment as well.

“Chanyeol…” he said, acknowledging him by sending him a small smile, too unsure to really let the relief show, “you’re here.”

Chanyeol gave a nod before he stepped closer, putting the tray down on the space that was left on the bed. Bom scooted over, making room for Chanyeol to sit down too, but even though he did, he still sat so far from them.

“I’m here,” he said once seated, his eyes meeting Baekhyun’s again and showing him an entirely different meaning to the words, bigger than him being physically there. 

“Look dada!” Bom interrupted then, pointing at the tray, “we made breakfast for you. I helped Chanyori!” 

Baekhyun smiled and leaned in to kiss his daughter’s forehead again, “You did? Aren’t you the sweetest little marshmallow.” 

She beamed, feeling happy to have made her father proud, and then she reached out to grab one of the small bread buns they had made. It was too big for her tiny little hand, but she managed to hold it up for her father anyway.

Her smile was so wide Baekhyun felt all the worries that had built up in the past minute fade like they had been nothing at all. With his daughter there by his side, nothing could go wrong, not even with Chanyeol. It felt reassuring to know he’d always have her. 

“Thank you, my pretty chef,” he told her before he took a bite of it, loving the buttery taste of the fluffy bread so much he actually rolled his eyes back in his head and let out a delighted moan. 

He realised only now that he was eating, he hadn’t had anything to eat since he had left the apartment the night before. His stomach made a noise of appreciation at being fed, at which Bom laughed, and when he opened his eyes Baekhyun gave her a fake surprised huff in reply. 

She giggled as her father frowned at her, turning her body away so she could lean into Chanyeol. The man let her, he even put her arm halfway around her, not touching but allowing her to be more comfortable, and Baekhyun felt overwhelmed with emotions once again.

Chanyeol must have sensed it, because when silence fell he reached for the tray and picked up the glass of orange juice. It didn’t help him feel any less affected by the entire situation, but Baekhyun appreciated how he tried. 

“Here,” his crush said, handing him the glass, but before Baekhyun held out his hand to take it, they stared at each other for a moment. 

Chanyeol was sending him a smile, small but there, and Baekhyun registered how he didn’t look like he felt uncomfortable. He truly made it feel like this was any other morning where they were having breakfast in bed with their daughter, and that got Baekhyun to choke up even more. 

He wasn’t sure what had happened the night before, but he was sure if it had been anyone else but Chanyeol, Baekhyun would have woken up alone. In previous relationships his boyfriends had run for lesser things, and Chanyeol wasn’t even his boyfriend. The fact he was here blew his mind. 

“Thank you,” he whispered, barely audible, as their fingers touched and Baekhyun took the glass from Chanyeol’s hold. 

It was quiet as he drank, the only sounds coming from a talkative Bom, who seemed especially excited to have Chanyeol over in the morning. Understandably so, because he usually wasn’t there, and every moment she could get with him she’d take. Funny how she was much bolder than her father in that respect. 

But Baekhyun needed answers, and he could only wait so long before he’d get too impatient, making it that he talked right over Bom’s head when he finally cracked, “So, you stayed?” 

His daughter didn’t appear to notice the two adults had lost track of her story and were having their own conversation, which Baekhyun was grateful for, because it gave them some much needed privacy. 

Chanyeol hummed, slowly nodding his head in reply, “I slept on the couch.”

“Mn,” Baekhyun brought out, feeling like he was actually floating above his own body as they talked, “how did I get in here, then?” 

His crush chuckled and brought up a hand to ruffle up his own curls, which was incredibly adorable, but more so was his smile as he shyly told him, “I kind of carried you to bed?”

“Oh god,” Baekhyun answered immediately, unable to stop a laugh from bubbling up in his chest as he tried to imagine it, “I’m sorry I was so difficult.”

“That’s okay,” Chanyeol told him easily, eyes twinkling for some unknown reason, “not any different than getting Bom to bed, although slightly heavier and more difficult to get to lie down.”

Baekhyun felt a blush rush up to his cheeks, but he was glad they were talking so easily. It didn’t seem like Chanyeol was mad or upset, which almost made him think he had made up the entire thing to begin with. If it hadn’t been for the texts he had reread, he could have believed it. 

“I, uh, I actually don’t remember a whole lot that happened. At least, I’m not sure if all my memories should be trusted,” he admitted then, hoping it would be enough to persuade Chanyeol to start talking about it. 

While Baekhyun put the glass of juice on his bedside table, he could hear Chanyeol say something to Bom, his voice whispered and too low to make out, but Bom had understood him even if Baekhyun hadn’t. She climbed up from underneath the covers and then down the bed, her body flailing enough for Chanyeol to grab the tray and get it out of the way. 

“Bye dad, I’m going to watch TV!” she yelled while she toppled off the bed, not looking back as she had been giving permission by Chanyeol to turn it on. Baekhyun, he finally understood why the man had done it. 

They were about to have  _ the  _ talk. Alone. 

Realising this, Baekhyun started nervously fidgeting with his hand on top of the covers, trying to find a more comfortable position to sit in while he’d hear everything Chanyeol was about to say. 

He waited for the man to put down the tray on the floor and to find a slightly more comfortable position before he cleared his throat and began explaining what Baekhyun wanted to hear most. 

“Yesterday, after I put you to bed, I sat down with Jongin,” Chanyeol started his story, which made Baekhyun’s heartbeat triple. As much as his best friend had been trying to help, things had turned out bad after his ‘genius’ plan had practically failed. 

He couldn’t begin to think what Jongin would have said to him, how honest he might have been about things, and whether he should be scared of what Chanyeol would say next. 

“Oh, did you?” Baekhyun laughed awkwardly, avoiding any kind of eye contact, “what did he say?” 

Chanyeol hummed for a moment and there was a slightly amused tone to his voice as he continued, “He made some very serious threats regarding a specific body part that I will not repeat. He lectured me, saying no matter what I would do or say, if I would hurt you he would find me and rip them off, so.” 

Baekhyun felt warmth surge through his chest at the way Jongin had stood up for him once again, but he also felt nervous that he had needed to say it. Why had that been?

“Were you…planning to? Hurt me, that is,” he dared to ask, thinking that if it were the case then it was best to get it out of the way. To rip it off like a bandaid, all at once, revealing an old wound which would never properly heal. 

Chanyeol moved on the bed, settling closer to Baekhyun, but the smaller still looked at the sheets rather than at his crush’s face, afraid to see the answer on there. 

“Baekhyun,” the man asked him, voice not giving away anything at all, just being factual, “how much do you remember of last night?”

Feeling slightly anxious at not getting a straightforward answer, Baekhyun fidgeted with his hands again, “I-I remember coming home and Jongin being stupid, pretending to be my date. I remember Bom coming and me sitting down. I know we talked but I don’t recall what I said, and I think…I’m not sure, but I think I fell into your arms before I passed out.” 

Chanyeol was silent for a while, for too long it felt like...so Baekhyun made the stupid decision to ramble on, “and I remember being at the bar and overthinking what your face looked like when I told you I had a date. Jongin told me you own a restaurant and it was weird for someone with such a busy life to be spending time with me pretty much for free. I remember going absolutely crazy thinking about it and then sending you texts because I couldn’t take it anymore. It was all so stupid, but it was true…”

There, he had said it over text and he had pretty much said it face to face. Now, if Chanyeol could just flat out tell him how he felt about it, that would be very much appreciated. 

But of course life had to torture Baekhyun a bit longer, because Chanyeol decided to focus on every other part of his statement first. 

“Well, what you remember is mostly right. I do own a restaurant and it’s true, I’m busy, but not as busy as you may think. It does explain why I don’t ask for anything in return, though. Because the restaurant does so well there’s no need for me to ask for more.” 

There it was. Jongin had been right about the restaurant, although Chanyeol was denying that he changed his schedule just to be with Baekhyun. If they had been wrong about that, then they had probably been wrong about everything else, too.

“Oh,” Baekhyun mumbled, while immediately being interrupted again.

“So, I wasn’t here for money or to rob you, to get that out of the way,” Chanyeol concluded with a soft laugh, trying to lighten up the mood with it. 

Baekhyun chanced a glance at his face and found Chanyeol was intently looking at him while he spoke, his full attention on him and his smile genuine. As if he knew exactly how Baekhyun was feeling. 

“It took me a while to realise why I was so persistent in helping you. Maybe I saw something of myself in the way you were struggling. When you broke down that day at the supermarket, I could so clearly remember my own pain of building something new all by myself and all the struggles that came with it. I admired you for being so strong, and I wanted a part in it.” 

“I tried through little things, like texting you about recipes and tea and other stupid stuff, but that was addicting,” Chanyeol admitted, his tone of voice growing more serious the longer he spoke, “so I suggested taking care of Bom, which would help you and would give me a reason to be around you more. That’s why I did it.”

He could tell Chanyeol was waiting for him to react to this, but there wasn’t much Baekhyun knew to say. He was filled with more unanswered questions, and until he knew about those, he wasn’t sure what was appropriate to say and what wasn’t. 

“Okay, I believe you,” he said, finding it was the only thing he really could say, “I never thought you were lying, I just didn’t think there was-” more. He had almost said it. 

“Baekhyun,” Chanyeol said as he again scooted closer on the bed, now taking the smaller’s hand in his own, which shocked Baekhyun so much he couldn’t help but look up into those beautiful eyes. 

As they looked at each other, Baekhyun thought back to seeing him for the first time and noticing all these beautiful things about him. From his eyes to his nose, the dimple, his lips…

He was back in that moment, as if he was seeing Chanyeol for the first time all over again. He was just as breathtaking as he had been then. It left him speechless, holding his breath in anticipation. 

“I asked you a question last night, do you remember that?” there was hope in those gorgeous eyes, but Baekhyun’s facial expression must have told him he didn’t, because those eyes dimmed, if only a fraction.

“Right before you passed out, you told me you didn’t want to risk anything because Bom likes me so much. And then,” Chanyeol seemed to doubt himself for a moment, but then with a little shake of his head as if it was a stupid thought, he finished, “I asked you if you like me so much, too.” 

Just like that, with it being said out loud, Baekhyun was back to the night before and could see it all playing out in his head.

Fractions of their conversation came back, and Baekhyun felt himself grow redder and redder the more he was able to recollect. Because it was true that he had been asked that question. In fact, he had answered it as well. 

“You responded, right before you passed out on me, leaving this on the biggest cliffhanger possible,” Chanyeol’s thumb swept over his knuckles, reminding Baekhyun that he was holding his hand, “as you told me: ‘I really do.’” 

Baekhyun swallowed hard, trying to force his heart back down his throat to his chest where it was supposed to sit. He was on the verge of crying, maybe throwing up, or both, because there could only be one thing happening right now. 

Chanyeol would finally be able to react to it, which hadn’t been possible the night before, and Baekhyun was so afraid to hear his reaction that he wanted to put his hands to his ears and block it all out. 

“Can you-” the taller began ever so slowly, his thumb sliding across Baekhyun’s palm this time and being such a wonderful distraction to his words, “ask me the same thing?”

Baekhyun blinked a few times, his brain feeling like it was being tricked again, but this time he was very sure he wasn’t dreaming and Chanyeol had actually made the suggestion.

He wanted Baekhyun to ask him the same question he had been asked himself. To ask him whether he liked him. It was crazy to him, because he was pretty certain if Chanyeol was going to tell him no, he would have done so in a different way. 

Which meant…holy fucking  _ shit _ . 

His crush was waiting for him, his confidence slipping with every second Baekhyun took to overthink it, and so by the time the hand on his started pulling away, he finally blurted it out.

“Do you like me too?” he blurted, not sure where he had found the strength to keep on looking at Chanyeol, but he did. He watched as a relieved smile broke through, lighting up his face again in such a beautiful way. 

Chanyeol squeezed Baekhyun’s hand in his, which made a whole kaleidoscope of butterflies explode inside his tummy.

“I do,” he replied so effortlessly Baekhyun couldn’t doubt the sincerity even if he wanted to, “I really like you, Baekhyun.”

“I-” the smaller stuttered, wanting to say a hundred things at once. How he couldn’t believe it, how happy he was, how stupid he felt for making things so difficult, how happy Bom would be. But nothing came out. 

Chanyeol laughed at the look on his face, at the shock which must have been visible. He moved so he was sitting on his knees on the bed, closer to Baekhyun than he had dared to move so far. Happiness surged through him from just sitting there, looking at the man of his dreams, but then said man asked the most preposterous question that got his stomach to do a million little somersaults just at the thought. 

“Is it okay if I kiss you now?” Chanyeol asked him, his voice having gone quiet. The almost whispering of his words made the hairs on Baekhyun’s arm stand up, his tongue darting out to mindlessly wet his lips, and Chanyeol’s eyes dropped to them at once. 

It must have been enough of an approval for the man to act, because Baekhyun hadn’t at all opened his mouth before he was leaning in, making the smaller panic about not being ready at all. However, that only lasted a fraction of a second.

When those soft, full lips pressed to his, Baekhyun's thoughts completely shut off and his eyes fell shut. 

His heart was beating out of his ribcage while they kissed, lips locked and hesitant. Getting used to each other, finding their way as they grew more confident. They didn’t stick to one kiss. Each time they were close to parting, Chanyeol would turn his head a little more and deepen it.

Baekhyun took what he was given for the first minute or so, his only thought being  _ ‘this is real, this is real, this is happening’ _ , until he regained power over his limbs again and he could finally reciprocate.

His hand found Chanyeol’s shirt, and he grabbed a fistful of the fabric before he tugged on it, dragging the man down until he fell over on top of Baekhyun. 

Neither stopped to complain about the bumping of elbows and heads, instead they went straight back to kissing, this time their bodies pressed closer together, separated only by sheets. 

Baekhyun felt the kind of love he had been missing for years, the kind that only a passionate kiss could bring. The kind that could set fire to his skin, could make him want to go without coming up for air ever again. 

It didn’t feel real, this moment. It was like a dream; too good to be true. Baekhyun reached between their bodies so he could pinch himself.

Chanyeol broke the kiss, figuring out what Baekhyun had done and he laughed. Then he sat himself up again, before thinking better of it and leaning back in to press another, single kiss to Baekhyun’s lips. 

“What? Are you laughing at me because I’m testing to see if this is real?” Baekhyun asked, his lips in a pout, and Chanyeol’s smile brightened as he cupped the smaller’s cheek in his palm. 

“You’re cute,” he said, “you’re so incredibly cute. I’ve been thinking about it for so long and now I can finally say it.” 

Baekhyun’s breath caught in his throat and Chanyeol laugh even louder. It was so stupidly attractive the smaller surged up to wrap his arms around the giant’s neck and pull him in again. 

They continued kissing for so long Baekhyun’s lips went numb, and when he couldn’t anymore, the kissing turned into hugging. They just lay there together, arms around each other, and it was everything he could have wished for and more. 

“Hey Baek,” Chanyeol eventually asked, to which the smaller hummed, feeling too comfortable to open his mouth and voice an actual reply. 

His crush laughed and pressed a swift little peck to his mouth before he let their noses brush together, “I know you had a completely failed date last night. So, I was wondering if you’d let me take you out sometime instead.”

Baekhyun felt the corner of his mouth tug up on its own and he opened his eyes so he could look at Chanyeol’s face up close. His smile grew, his chest still so warm, as he jokingly replied, “I don’t know, ask Bom. You’ll need her permission.”

They both knew, had Baekhyun actually been serious about it, there still wouldn’t have been a problem whatsoever. Bom absolutely adored him, there would be no doubt that she’d agree. 

Yet Chanyeol played along with it in the same joking manner. He sat up, leaving Baekhyun lying down in bed with a pout, and he called out loudly, “Hey, Bom? Bommie, can you come for a second?”

Baekhyun was about to protest and tell him to let it be, but his stuttering left him incomprehensible, and while Chanyeol laughed at him for it, Bom appeared in the doorway, “What is it, mister Chanyori?”

Chanyeol hummed and beckoned her closed, to which she happily obliged. He helped her climb on the bed, settling in between the two of them, and once she was there, Chanyeol gave her this serious look that shut her up immediately. 

“Your dad and I were talking,” he said to her, “and we were wondering if you are okay with it if I stay here?” 

Bom looked at her father for a moment and then back at Chanyeol, and she released this cute little gasp before asking, “You’re going to stay?” As if she understood what it meant somehow. 

“Well, I’ll still have to go home sometimes, but I’ll be here even more. Is that okay?” Chanyeol shrugged lightly and then sent her the same blinding smile that would get him anything from Baekhyun. 

It was his words that got her to respond, though, as she jumped up and down a few times before flinging herself at his neck and holding on like a koala bear. 

“Can we make chocolate cookies then? And can dada help, too? And will you have a sleepover with me one time?” she threw question after question at him, which had Baekhyun laughing so hard he was close to tears. 

It appeared he’d have to share Chanyeol with her, and well, if that wouldn’t scare him away then nothing ever could. 

With Bom’s arms around his neck, Chanyeol smiled at Baekhyun. His eyes were warm and filled with love, like this made him just as happy. When the smaller reached out to grab his hand and give it a tender squeeze, he leaned in and kissed him again. 

As Baekhyun kissed back, lips moving along to Chanyeol’s, he wondered if maybe he was having another wish fulfilled, finding the love of his life. 

Sitting with him and Bom like this, Baekhyun thought this was exactly what having a family was supposed to feel like. 


	8. Epilogue: Love Makes a Family

“Bom, come on, we need to hurry up,” Baekhyun rushed his daughter while he scooped the final pieces of pancake on a plate before he handed Jongin the dish so he could take it out. 

His best friend chuckled at the mess he was in and then dashed off with his hands full, back to the dining hall where they were setting the table to perfection. 

Sehun was around there somewhere too, lighting two hundred little tea lights together with Lay, who had opened up the restaurant for them and was helping them to get everything in order. 

With the help of his and Chanyeol’s friends, they were turning the place into a set fit for a fairy tale. While the three boys were out there in charge of dressing up the dining hall, Baekhyun and his daughter were in the kitchen working on the food.

Right now, Bom was decorating the cake that would be their dessert. A one tier vanilla sponge cake that didn’t look too impressive, but he had needed something simple to make with his daughter’s help and that they couldn’t fuck up.

She worked slowly on adding the finishing touches, a concentrated frown on her face as she sprinkled glitter on top of the icing and pressed little jewels on the side. It would look like a unicorn had thrown up over the cake, but Chanyeol would love it because she had made it. 

Together they had been working on a feast for the past three hours, with Baekhyun occasionally asking for Lay’s help with the recipes, because as dedicated as he was, they were the more difficult kind. 

However, he found watching and assisting his boyfriend over the past year and a half had helped him become a tremendously better cook, something he hadn’t quite expected.

He hadn’t burnt down the restaurant, hadn’t cut himself even though the knives there were big and sharp, and Lay had actually complimented him on his sauce, which had felt like a big achievement to him. 

Everything seemed to be going well, yet Baekhyun felt nervous still. 

With the food almost completely ready, there was nothing left to do but get dressed and practice his speech a little more. Not that he was ever going to be able to speak without the piece of paper that held his words, but he could at least try to memorize parts of it in order to look like he put in some effort. 

“Tada!” Bom exclaimed from beside him, turning to him to show both her work of art and her messy fingers. She looked so proud of herself, grin splitting her face, and Baekhyun broke out in a soft smile before he leaned in and kissed the top of her head. 

“It looks amazing, baby, Chanyeol is going to love it,” he told her, watching her face light up even more, the way it always did when they mentioned him. In that respect, things hadn’t really changed, while in most ways everything was completely different.

Bom had grown out of calling him mister Chanyori fairly soon after he and Baekhyun had started officially dating. She had started calling him Chanyeol then, without him ever asking her, but because Baekhyun called him that, she did too. 

Then, once the two of them had moved in with Chanyeol a short seven months later, she had changed that and had started calling him ‘dad’. She had just gone up to him one day and had unashamedly asked him, “ _ do you want to do a puzzle with me, dad?”  _ and that had been it. 

It had been that way for almost a year now, the three of them in one house, and Baekhyun still felt warm when he saw how much his daughter adored his boyfriend. 

“Alright, now let’s get you all cleaned up and pretty,” he decided as he grabbed her under the arms and lifted her up from the little stool she had been standing on. 

Bom latched onto him easily, so used to it even though she was getting way too heavy to carry. Baekhyun smiled, quietly thinking back to the times where she hadn’t wanted to walk at all and had depended on her father at all times. Things were so different now, so much better. 

Baekhyun carried her to the back room, the staff room, where their outfits were waiting for them. The first thing he had done upon arrival was getting them ready, displayed on their hangers to prevent any wrinkling. A casual suit for Baekhyun and a pretty dress for Bom, one that she had picked out herself.

Before she could get her dirty hands on it, though, Baekhyun grabbed a towel and wrapped it around her hands, “let’s get you clean first. Then we’ll put on the dress and call for uncle Jongin to do your hair.”

Bom nodded and let her father clean her arms and face, which were covered in a variety of baking products, without struggling once. Baekhyun was quiet while he worked, his mind filled with thoughts about the night ahead, and his daughter had somehow caught on. 

“I’m a bit scared, dada,” she said, her eyes big and round as she looked at her father, “what if dad doesn’t like the cake, or if he doesn’t want the paper? Will he go then?”

Baekhyun’s heart clenched at her words, hating how similar her thoughts were to his. If there was one thing he knew, though, it was that Chanyeol wouldn’t leave even if things wouldn’t go as planned. That kind of fear was no longer present in his heart. 

“Don’t you worry, my little marshmallow,” he booped his daughter’s nose, “Chanyeol loves you, he could never leave even if he tried. And you made the cake, it’s impossible he won’t like it.” 

He helped Bom out of her cooking outfit then, and she put up her arms and raised a foot whenever needed. All the while she remained quiet, thinking about Baekhyun’s words with a calmness one wouldn’t expect from a five-year old.

Then, dressed in nothing but her underwear, she gave Baekhyun this serious look that almost made him burst out in laughter. Almost, because her words were so touching that the want to laugh turned into the want to cry immediately. 

“Chanyeol loves you too,” she spoke, as if she worried her father thought he loved Bom more than him. As if she actually thought her father wasn’t aware. 

“Oh, Bommie, I know,” Baekhyun pushed her hair out of her face and leaned in to kiss her cheek, to which she protested a little, “he loves us both. Just like we both love him.”

Satisfied with the answer, Bom gave a nod while she rubbed her father’s kiss off her cheek. Getting disgusted by acts of affection, very much fit for her age.

“Can I put on my dress now?” she asked, as impatient as could be. 

Baekhyun hummed softly and moved to grab it off the hanger. The dress was light blue, with a long sleeved top and a tulle skirt from the waist down, tied together with a cute ribbon that came together in a bow at the front. 

Of all things that needed to be kept a secret, Bom had probably struggled most with the fact that she couldn’t tell Chanyeol about the beautiful dress she had bought with her father. She had managed, but only barely, slipping up here and there without it being too obvious. 

But now the day was here, and when Baekhyun put it on her, she looked twice as excited as she had been before. All her worries about Chanyeol’s response were clearly forgotten as she twirled around and let the dress move as if her mind had taken her into a Disney fairytale. 

“Oh no, who let in this princess!? Where did my Bom go?” Baekhyun wondered in the most serious tone, feigning a confused look to match, and when he scratched his head in confusion, Bom giggled loudly. 

“I’m right here, dada,” she managed to sound as if she thought her father was an idiot for not realising it was her, and Baekhyun huffed loudly and pushed her aside slightly. 

“I see, sure you are,” he told her as he waved her off, “well if you are, go get uncle Jongin then so he can braid your hair.” 

Without replying to his words, Bom twirled around and was off, running to get her second most favourite person in the world after Chanyeol.

Baekhyun smiled fondly and he shook his head to himself, wondering how he had gotten so lucky with her, and then he stood and started changing his own outfit. Exchanging jeans for black dress pants, fit to perfection, and then his t-shirt for a crisp white button up. 

He was in the middle of buttoning it up when Bom returned, followed closely by Jongin, who grinned at him when he saw the state Baekhyun was in, “Well look at that. Abs, huh? You’ve been working out.”

Baekhyun snorted while he continued with the buttons, feeling relaxed enough to joke around a little, “Absolutely. There are various types of workouts I have been doing, yes.” 

“Gross,” Jongin wrinkled his nose as he sat down, a brush in one hand and a little bag of hair clips and ties in the other, “we did not need to know that.” 

When he spread his legs to make room, Bom went to stand between them with the biggest smile on her face. She remained quiet and still as Jongin worked on her hair, creating a pretty crown of braids on top of her head, her favourite Uncle Jongin hairdo. 

“Are you nervous?” his best friend asked then, the words directed at Baekhyun, but it wasn’t just him who replied.

Both he and Bom spoke at the same time, her going “A little,” while Baekhyun answered with an unabashed, “Yes.”

Jongin’s chuckle showed how cute he found it, and as he spoke again it was actually to both of them, “There’s no need to be. It’s clear as day Chanyeol absolutely loves you, there isn’t a cell in my body that’s worried about what he’ll say.” 

“But what if he doesn’t like the cake?” Bom asked, which was evidently her biggest concern. It was laughable compared to what Baekhyun would have to face, but it was cute in its own way. 

“Impossible,” Jongin said, “I had a taste of the frosting and it was really good. If Chanyeol doesn’t like it, his tongue isn’t working well.” 

This made Bom smile brightly, and just like that her fears had been taken away. 

It was cute how easily she believed those around her. How she thought ‘if uncle Jongin said so, it has to be true’ without questioning his words at all. Baekhyun wished he could believe him that easily, too.

Her hair was done soon after, and when he finished, Jongin whispered in her ear, “Can you go check if Uncle Sehun and Lay are done yet and if they’ve made it pretty the way you wanted?”

She went without pouting, her excitement making her so easy to deal with today. Baekhyun kind of wished every day could be like today. Although he could do without the stress of it all, so maybe not. 

“Relax, Baek,” Jongin told him, pulling his best friend from his thoughts as he got up and walked over to him, “I’ve never seen you in a relationship like this. You two are good together, you’re endgame. This is going to play out well.”

Baekhyun took a deep breath and unfolded the paper he had snatched from the pocket of his pants moments before, “I guess. But this isn’t like living together, this is big…really big. For both of us. All three of us, actually.” 

“Hmm,” Jongin agreed, “that’s right, but Bom wants it and you want it. How could Chanyeol not want it? You wouldn’t be together if he didn’t want this.” 

“I know, but can you really blame me for being nervous still? Wouldn’t you be? I can’t imagine not being scared out of your wits in a moment like this,” Baekhyun replied as he tugged at his collar, undoing another button to help him breathe a little better. 

Jongin laughed at him and then put his hand on Baekhyun’s upper arm, giving it a small squeeze, “Of course, but I hope it’s a good kind of nervous, the excited kind. You’re going to make the most amazing memory here tonight.”

Baekhyun gave him a weak smile, but he didn’t fight it. Jongin was right, it was going to be a very special night regardless of what would happen. Even if Chanyeol would end up refusing, he would still know how Baekhyun felt about him, and that would be worth it too. 

“Come on,” Jongin continued when Baekhyun didn’t speak, “let’s see how we did on the decorations. He’ll have to come in soon, we’re running out of time.”

Before the smaller could reply, he was being tugged towards the dining hall. They rushed through the kitchen, which was still a mess, and then through the two large and heavy doors leading to the restaurant. 

Baekhyun’s jaw dropped the moment they entered the darkened room, the only light coming from all the candles on the tables, making it feel like he was looking at a night sky filled with stars.

In the middle of the room was one round table that was spectacularly decorated. With beautiful candle holders, dusty pink flowers and an array of plates and cutlery, it truly looked like a fairytale come alive. 

Bom was sitting on one of the chairs, talking to Sehun about something, and Lay stood there rearranging some spoons to make everything look absolutely perfect. 

He was blessed to have these people in his life. Without them, this night wouldn’t be possible. From the decorations to helping with the food to keeping Chanyeol away, all of them had helped, and Baekhyun felt grateful for all of it. 

“You guys…” he whispered, but in the silence of the room it could be heard by all, “this is exquisite. He’s going to be so shocked…”

Lay smiled and walked around the table to get to Baekhyun. He pulled the younger in a hug, patting his back softly, and told him some comforting words, “You’ve got this, Baekhyun. I’m sure he’ll be speechless.” 

A moment later, Sehun and Jongin had joined him, enveloping Baekhyun in a group hug of sorts. As if all of them knew he needed a bit more love before he could be courageous enough to take over by himself. 

“You should text him. Everything’s ready, don’t let the food get too cold,” Jongin told him when they let go of him at once, leaving him feeling bare and more jittery than before. This was the moment of, after all. 

He nodded and got out his phone, swiping until he got to his chat with Chanyeol. 

His boyfriend didn’t know a thing about what they had been planning. He had only been told Baekhyun and Bom were going to a large indoor playground with Uncle Jongin and Sehun, and that Baekhyun would text him once he’d leave so they could meet up for dinner somewhere. 

**Baekhyun** : hey, so we’re leaving right now and were thinking maybe we could get Chef Chanyeol to cook for us in his own kitchen. Bom is craving your bibimbap and I can’t say I don’t agree so, are you up for it? 🙈

**Yeollie** : Really? How cute...Sure! I’ll meet you guys there in ten  🥰

**Baekhyun** : Okay, we’ll be waiting

**Yeollie** : I’ll be quick. Love you  ❤️

**Baekhyun** : love you too  ❤️

“He’s on his way,” Baekhyun told everyone in the room, and like that they all set into motion. 

“Okay, so here’s the wine,” Lay showed him everything on the table, pointing at the things he’d need to keep in mind, “and I’ll be in the kitchen getting every course ready so all you have to do is take them out.”

“Thanks Lay,” Baekhyun smiled at him, feeling slightly overwhelmed by the amount of information presented to him. 

“Alright, Sehun and I will be hiding in the kitchen too, we want to be there later to celebrate,” Jongin jumped in next, tugging Baekhyun to the other side of the table as he talked, “but before we go, I still have the you-know-what, but this here is where we left the other you-know-whats.”

Baekhyun peeked under the beautiful little blanket that had been draped over a small basket. Inside were three jewelry boxes, the ones he had ordered Jongin to pick up, and he secretly put his hand in to open them and check which one was Chanyeol’s. 

“Thank you, they’re exactly what I wanted,” he told his best friend while his fingers traced the silver. 

In that moment, it was as if a comforting blanket was being wrapped around him, and it got him to relax instantly. Because they were right, there was nothing to worry about, and it took seeing their names together for it to really register. 

“I’m glad,” Jongin answered, sounding like he was smiling, “go get him. We’ll be right here no matter what outcome.” 

They left Baekhyun there at the table, all three of them retreating to the kitchen where they’d have to stay until the happy couple would call them out. Hopefully.

“What’s that, dada?” Bom asked from her seat, her legs swinging back and forth, and Baekhyun smiled as he opened the smallest box and got out the bracelet that lay in there. 

“This?” he asked as he got on one knee, sitting down in front of his daughter, “this is part of the surprise for Chanyeol. So you can’t say anything, okay?” 

Her mouth turned into a small, surprised ‘O’, but she nodded while Baekhyun put the bracelet on her wrist. 

“You know what our names look like, right?” Baekhyun asked her, to which Bom nodded, “Well, look.” 

He showed her the thin strips of silver between the chains of the bracelet, one which was engraved with Baekhyun’s name and one that had Chanyeol’s. 

“Now, we’ll always be with you,” Baekhyun explained as she remained quiet, “and on my bracelet I will have two names too, yours and Chanyeol’s.”

This got her to smile, as if she finally understood now, “So will dad have one with my name too?”

She was asking about Chanyeol’s bracelet now, and Baekhyun’s heart did a little jump as she called him ‘dad’ again. 

“Mhm,” he made an agreeing sound, then stood to cover the basket with the blanket again, “but it’s a surprise, so we have to wait for dessert, yes? Just like with the other surprise.” 

Bom nodded once more, like she knew she wasn’t supposed to say anything about any of it. Baekhyun hoped she’d be able to, because he knew she was bad at keeping in her excitement, and this was a moment he did not want ruined by it. 

The sound of a door falling shut made both of them look up, eyes trailing to the entrance where the sound had come from. Baekhyun quickly put everything back in order and then straightened himself, facing the man they were there for. 

In walked a confused-looking Chanyeol, his jaw dropped while he unzipped his coat and stared at his restaurant in complete wonder, “Baek? What did you-how?” 

Baekhyun took a step in his direction, feeling his heart skip a beat at the mere sight of his boyfriend, but Bom beat him to it when she got up from her chair and screamed, “Surprise!” before she ran off to greet him.

Chanyeol bent down enough that he could lift her up when she jumped at him, twirling her around happily as both of them laughed in delight. 

Baekhyun had to grip a chair to keep himself steady, his knees weak as all he could think about how he was definitely making the right decision. He hadn’t doubted his choice once, even though bringing it up would be absolutely frightening, and having that confirmed in this moment was exactly what he needed. 

“Who is this pretty little princess and what did she do to my Bommie?” Chanyeol asked, having forgotten all about the restaurant as his eyes were only on the little girl in his arms. 

She smiled at him shyly and pointed at herself, “It’s meeee, I’m Bommie! I picked it myself.” It was adorable how proud she looked, and Chanyeol felt the same awe towards her as Baekhyun did. 

“I see, all to surprise me?” he asked her while he put her back down on the ground again, his eyes going back up to all the lights around them, “because it worked. I’m baffled.”

His gaze travelled to Baekhyun then, eyes light and happy, a smile to match, and the smaller felt shy under his stare the way he always did. 

“Hey you,” Chanyeol greeted him as he walked closer, one hand already outstretched as if it longed to touch Baekhyun, “what’s all this, huh?” 

Before Baekhyun could actually answer, he was being pulled into the most dazzling kiss, Chanyeol’s hand heavy on his lower back as he tugged him close. 

He focused on kissing back for a moment, letting it kill some of his nerves, and when it ended he licked his lips and tried to remember how to use words.

“Well, you always cook for us so we thought that for once we could return the favour and make it a special night,” he explained softly, shrugging his shoulders as he added, “Bom and I have been cooking for hours.” 

When Baekhyun looked up at his boyfriend’s face he saw love written on his features. His eyes said it all, the way they always did when Chanyeol looked at him, but this time it was as if it had been multiplied by a thousand. 

“With what goal, stealing my heart? It was already yours to begin with, my chest is empty, what do you want?” Chanyeol was joking, laughing so brightly, and when he finished he kissed Baekhyun once again before letting him go.

Off came his boyfriend’s coat and he hung it on one of the chairs. He turned around fully, taking in every little detail in the room, and then he gave Baekhyun a playful glance, “do I even want to see my kitchen?”

Baekhyun chuckled, butterflies erupting in his stomach, and he shook his head, “You have zero faith in us, do you?” Then he added, “Anyway, we’ll clean it later. You’re not allowed to go in right now.”

Bom had made her way back to her seat, growing impatient again, and Chanyeol noticed, “Ah, looks like our little princess is hungry. Best not wait too long then.”

“Alright, well, we put the first course on the table already, so,” Baekhyun nudged his head to show Chanyeol that he could sit between him and Bom, and they all took their places a moment later. 

“I made kimchi pancakes!” Bom yelled when the first dish was uncovered, revealing said pancakes, “Dada made your kimchi and then I helped flip the pancakes.” 

“I see,” Chanyeol answered, his smile still so soft as he allowed Baekhyun to fill up his plate first, “I bet they’re the best pancakes that have ever been made in my kitchen.”

He was such a praising parent, always making Bom feel proud of how hard she had worked and always complimenting her even if she made mistakes. There was never a moment where she wasn’t loved. Even when Chanyeol scolded her, he’d always get her to smile in the end. 

“We also made soybean paste stew, so this isn’t all there is. And that’s only the first course, we also made a main course and dessert,” Baekhyun told Chanyeol, and even he noticed how the first signs of nervousness seeped into his words. 

To stop that, Chanyeol dropped his hand on top of Baekhyun’s on the table, rubbing his thumb across his boyfriend’s knuckles the way he always would if he wanted to calm him down. It had been a thing from the very start.

“I can’t wait, I’m sure everything will be perfect,” Chanyeol promised him. Baekhyun was just glad his boyfriend seemed to think that he was nervous because of the food. 

As expected it was Bom who filled the silence with her talking about their day. She blurted out how Lay had helped and how Jongin and Sehun had worked on the candles, which meant Chanyeol probably knew they were still around somewhere, but thankfully he didn’t probe about it.

He let it all happen, gave up control completely, which made things easier but not at all easy. Time flew, though, and with the first course done, Baekhyun left the table to go get the bulgogi he had made with Lay’s help.

Balancing plates surely wasn’t Baekhyun’s forte, but Chanyeol got a good laugh out of it when he almost dropped their food, which made Bom laugh along, and eventually Baekhyun stopped feeling embarrassed about it and let out a chuckle, too.

Conversation came easy as they ate, almost as if they were having their regular dinner at home. Chanyeol told them about the day he’d had, taste testing new products at the food convention he had been to that day. While Bom and Baekhyun talked about their adventures in the kitchen. 

When their plates were empty, the conversation faltered and Baekhyun caught his boyfriend staring at him from the corners of his eyes. 

“What?” he asked then, feeling heat rush to his cheeks as he felt shy being stared at like that.

“Just thinking,” Chanyeol countered, his voice small and sweet, “how beautiful you are, how lucky I am to have you. How glad I am I bumped into you at that supermarket. How much you’ve grown since we first met.”

Baekhyun cleared his throat, hating how simple it was for Chanyeol to say such a thing. He was doing what Baekhyun wanted to be doing, and so he cut it off with a simple wave of his hand, “Don’t be like that now. Today isn’t about me.” 

He pushed his chair back then, before his boyfriend could argue with him about it, and asked Bom, “Want to get the cake with me?”

“Cake?” Chanyeol was quick to question, directing his words at Bom, “You made cake together? Oh no, it’s going to be a pretty princess cake, isn’t it?” 

Bom nodded with the widest smile she could muster, and only when Baekhyun reached her side did she jump off her chair, “I made it pretty! I did it!”

She began tugging on Baekhyun’s hand, but her father paused for another moment. They were about to leave Chanyeol there by himself, with the basket right there on the table, and so he left with a warning that he hoped was subtle enough.

“Stay here, don’t move.”

Chanyeol stared at him curiously for a moment, as if he was trying to figure out why his boyfriend was so adamant, and then he gave a salute as to show he understood, “Yes, sir.”

With that, Baekhyun let himself be dragged away. 

Inside the kitchen, he released the breath he had been holding and felt all energy just seep from his body. 

Lay, Jongin and Sehun sat in the far corner, munching on some food of their own, only looking up when the two entered. 

“Ah, there they are,” Lay said, “here for the cake?” 

When Bom nodded, the guy got up to help her fetch it while Baekhyun remained in place, unmoving. 

Jongin walked over, a knowing smile on his face, but it was soft and supportive instead of cheeky. “The big reveal is here then,” he concluded.

Baekhyun nodded, feeling as if he was having an out-of-body experience at that very moment. He was there, but he was also in his head, trying not to panic over how to go through with this.

Jongin handed him a large white envelope,  _ the  _ envelope, and assured him, “You’ve got this, Byun.”

Taking it from his best friend’s hand, Baekhyun held onto the envelope tightly, hoping it would help ground him, and it did in a way. The weight of those papers tugged him back down to earth, into his own body, and he gave a nod to show he had understood. 

“Dada, help,” he heard Bom yell then, and when he looked at her he saw how she was struggling trying to hold the cake all by herself.

“Hold on, baby, I’ll be right there,” he promised her, after which he tucked the envelope inside his shirt in an attempt to hide it, and after one last glance at his friends he walked over to her to help.

They were all on his side, he knew. Bom most of all, and it was her approval that made him brave enough to lift that cake and carry it back into the dining hall, the envelope burning against his skin the entire way. 

Chanyeol’s face lit up like a Christmas tree as he saw the cake, acting as if this was his birthday and they were rolling out a twenty-tier cake instead of the basic little thing they were actually carrying. 

Still, considering a five-year old had made it, it was pretty impressive, and Baekhyun let her have all the credit the way she deserved. 

“Bom, you absolutely have to teach me how to decorate cakes sometime soon, because wow…” Chanyeol praised her again, making Baekhyun roll his eyes at him, but he didn’t say anything about it. He didn’t want to kill the mood. 

Once he put down the cake on the table, Bom let go of it in order to hug Chanyeol’s side, “it’s for you, because dada and I want to say we love you.” 

“Ah- please,” Chanyeol brought up a hand to clench at his chest, “you’re going to make me pass out from all the cuteness. And then the sugar, of course.”

While they joked around, Baekhyun cut a few slices so they would be ready once Bom would sit herself down again. His heart beat in his chest, as if it was searching for the spot where the paper stuck to his skin. How Chanyeol hadn’t noticed yet was beyond him. 

He quickly took it out while they weren’t looking, placing it in his lap where it felt even heavier, but at least his heart dropped a little lower and he could stop worrying about being found out. 

His palms had started to sweat, his fingers twitching whenever he thought about the speech he wanted to give, and for a second he panicked because he couldn’t feel the piece of folded up paper in his pocket anymore. 

It was still there, though, he realised a second later. The moment of him unfolding it and reading the words scribbled on there was getting closer and closer. 

“Alright, let’s taste this beauty,” he could hear Chanyeol say, and when he looked up he saw that Bom had returned to her seat and was pushing a slice of cake his way. 

Baekhyun forced himself to breathe in and out and watch the two of them interact, to clear his mind of any thoughts of his speech and look at the reason why he had gone through all of this to begin with. 

It worked for a little while, as Chanyeol took a large bite and wiped some icing down Bom’s nose. It made the taller laugh, while Bom squealed in discomfort and got her hands on her nose. 

They both turned their heads towards Baekhyun at the same time, Chanyeol looking content while Bom mostly pouted his way. It tugged on his heartstrings so much that he  _ wanted  _ to get to his speech. 

So he cleared his throat and reached for the paper in his pocket, “Uhm, actually, Yeol…this isn’t the only thing we had planned. But the final thing isn’t in the form of food. It’s actually something we wanted to say.”

Chanyeol looked at Bom for a moment, as if the answer lay with her, but she only sent back a smile, and so the man returned his gaze to Baekhyun. 

Realising this was something serious he was about to hear, Chanyeol dropped the fork he had been holding back on the plate. He left behind all of his jokes as he sat up a little straighter, his body turned towards Baekhyun to give him his undivided attention. 

Baekhyun in turn, turned his attention to the page that held all his thoughts. 

It had taken him hours to get the right things out, taking forever to find the perfect way to say things. As a publisher he still wasn’t satisfied with the results, but he had run out of time and so it would have to do. 

“Chanyeol,” he began, “when we met you, I wasn’t at a point in my life where I had even begun to dream of love again. Taking care of Bom and making ends meet, those were my only thoughts.”

“My dreams weren’t any different. Wishing Bom would be happy and healthy, and my only hopes were getting promoted so I’d be able to grow in my job and make a bit more money to spend on her. Never did I think about dating.”

His hands were trembling, but the first part of his speech was manageable and so the words came out without too much difficulty. The next parts, however, would be much harder. 

“I’ve always told myself my only priority was Bom, but over the time we’ve been together that has changed. Now, my priority is us, and by that I mean the three of us. I wake up every day just thinking of the two of you and what our day is going to be like,” Baekhyun admitted. 

“And when I asked Bom how she feels about you, I got this big smile in reply along with a bunch of compliments I’m not even going to repeat, because they make me insanely jealous.” 

This sparked a laugh on Chanyeol’s side, and he leaned over towards Bom to kiss her head. She sent him exactly the smile Baekhyun had been talking about moments before, but she stayed quiet knowing her father was speaking. 

“I look at her now and see not only myself in her, but also you. The way she wrinkles her nose is the way you wrinkle your nose. The way she shakes her head to get her hair out of the way, is the way you shake your head to get your hair out of the way. She used to just watch me, but now she’s got you there, too. It’s comforting, knowing she loves you this much.”

“And for a while now, I’ve been thinking of the bond between you two. About what twenty-year-old Baekhyun hoped for in life, and about what the future holds. We’ve talked about this together too, about what’s next, about how I got Bom and if I’d be willing to do it a second time.” 

This was where his voice broke, where it became harder to talk without tears welling up behind his eyes, because this always made him want to cry.

He remembered when Chanyeol had first brought it up, adopting a second time, and how he had burst into tears at the suggestion alone. 

Chanyeol had thought it had been a bad thing to bring up, that they were tears of sadness, but they hadn’t been. It had just been too overwhelming to realise that they were there. That after years, Baekhyun had found the person who fit him in every way and who wanted the same things as him. 

It had made them stronger, had brought Baekhyun so much peace in their relationship. Because it had shown just how serious his boyfriend was about them, how certain he was of their future. 

Every fear of being left behind had disappeared after that talk, and from that moment on their relationship had been a lot steadier and a lot less scary. 

“But before I can start that adventure with you, there’s something else that needs to happen first,” Baekhyun eventually continued, getting to the main point of his speech, “something that required a lot of paperwork.”

He let out a small laugh, his mouth dry as he tried to swallow around the lump in his throat, “and something Bom had a say in as well.”

Putting down the piece of paper on the table, his hands went to the envelope in his lap. He kept them there while he thought it over once more, everything that was about to change if he’d continue now. 

His gaze moved up to meet Chanyeol’s, and he felt startled as he saw tears lining those gorgeous almond-shaped eyes. To see that those emotions had been caused by his words, made Baekhyun want to cry too. 

When tears welled up for him as well, Chanyeol moved so he could get a hand on top of Baekhyun’s, like always. Perhaps he could feel his boyfriend was holding something, but he didn’t ask. Instead he waited. 

They sat facing each other for nearly a minute, just staring with an unspoken understanding of how the other felt in that moment, which was one of the most incredible things Baekhyun had ever experienced with anyone. 

But Bom was there too, and she couldn’t handle the silence. She wanted an answer. And so she got involved. 

“Dada,” she whined, “ask it now! I want to know.”

“Want to know what?” Chanyeol asked, his eyes still on Baekhyun, as if he had said it to encourage him instead of wanting a reply from Bom. 

Still Bom answered his question, just as Baekhyun had opened his mouth to finally say something as well. 

“If you want to be my daddy, of course!” she made it sound as if everyone already knew about this, her innocence so sweet, but she didn’t know how much weight her words actually held. 

Chanyeol did. 

Before Baekhyun could confirm his daughter’s words, Chanyeol had made sense of everything already. His lips parted and the love that had been on his face made room for complete shock. 

He stared at Baekhyun, as if to make sure Bom wasn’t playing around or saying something idiotic, and now the only thing left for Baekhyun was to present him the envelope.

He did so, holding out the beautiful, thick white pouch, which Chanyeol took with as much confusion as had been visible in his face. 

His boyfriend was slow, incredibly so, opening the fold and sliding out the papers as if they would disappear if he’d rush it too much. Baekhyun knew what he’d see once he would unfold the pages, and so he kept his eyes on Chanyeol’s face at all times. 

It was how he could tell the exact moment when Chanyeol read the request on the page, asking him to officially become Bom’s guardian next to Baekhyun. 

All it required was a signature and Bom would be as much his as she’d be Baekhyun’s, which would tie them together as well as they could. Still not bound by blood, but by law. In their hearts they already were. 

Unexpectedly, Chanyeol didn’t laugh or smile. He didn’t even speak. Instead he dropped the pages on the table and brought the hand that had been holding them to his mouth, fingers curling into a fist that he pressed to his lips. 

His eyes fell shut and for a minute he remained completely still, before his shoulders started to softly shake, his chest heaving in sync. It took Baekhyun a few seconds to realise it, but Chanyeol was crying. 

His boyfriend was full on sobbing, body trembling with it, and soon the tears leaked from his eyes like a waterfall. He tried to stop them with the back of his thumbs, wiping them away as they fell, and before Baekhyun could do anything to help, Bom had jumped up to go to him. 

She clutched onto him wherever she could, her frown deeper than Baekhyun had ever seen on her, and she tugged on his arm because she wanted to see his face, “Dad, dad what’s wrong?”

Chanyeol wordlessly dropped his hands and hooked them under her armpits, lifting her up from the ground and into his lap. 

Bom hugged him like a little koala, her head on his shoulder and Chanyeol’s chin resting on her crown. He held on to her tightly, like she was something precious, and that was enough to break the gates for Baekhyun, too. 

His shoulders began shaking much in the same way as Chanyeol’s had done, but contrary to his boyfriend, he started making noises as well. Little hiccups left his throat as the waterworks were opened, tears dropping one after the other. 

His heart was so full with love that it was brimming, and to see Chanyeol displaying his emotions so freely had made the bucket tip over. He couldn’t hold it in any longer, but it was the good kind of crying, the happy tears. 

Chanyeol caught his hand without looking for it, so used to it that he could find it in the dark if he needed to. He squeezed so hard it was almost painful, but Baekhyun squeezed back just as much. 

“You-” he began, but he stopped again because even that single word was hard to get out. Still he tried, and although every word came out broken in a different way, he managed to get out, “you make me the happiest man in the world.”

Baekhyun sniffed, using his free hand to dab at his cheeks, and he dared to answer it with a question, finally. 

“Does that mean,” he blubbered, “that you’ll sign?” 

Chanyeol huffed, a smile breaking through the tears, and he pressed his nose into Bom’s hair for a second before he answered, “Will I sign? Of course I’ll sign. There’s nothing I could wish for more than this.” 

His answer made Bom pull back from the embrace, and her little gasp was so cute that Baekhyun snorted, “Really? You’ll be my dad?” 

Chanyeol, having regained some of his senses, raised his eyebrows at her and threw back a sweet-sounding, “Yah, wasn’t I already? You’ve been calling me dad for forever.”

Bom didn’t care for his words though, she was struggling to get off his lap and once she succeeded, she ran towards the kitchen with the wind in her hair, “Uncle Jongin, uncle Sehun! We need a pen!”

The couple watched her go, both staying quiet until she was entirely gone, and then Chanyeol stood up. His chair screeched as he pushed it back, and Baekhyun worried for a split second that he had been lying for Bom’s sake.

But then Chanyeol appeared at his side, holding out a hand for Baekhyun to take, and as he looked up his boyfriend told him, “Can I please kiss you now?”

Baekhyun put his hand in Chanyeol’s and let himself be tugged up and into his arms, his own hands easily finding their way to the taller’s shoulders where they remained as he was drawn into the most breathtaking kiss of his life.

Chanyeol even went as far as to dip him, and when they came up, both struggling for air in the aftermath of their tears, the taller kept whispering into his ear, “I love you, I love you so much. Baek, you’re my everything. You and Bom. Bom and you. Everything.”

Baekhyun closed his eyes, wrapping his arms around his boyfriend even tighter, and he knew everything would be okay now. He knew Chanyeol would sign the paper and he’d cry some more over the bracelet. 

Then they’d celebrate together, before going home and tucking in  _ their  _ daughter together. They’d go to bed and would make love, whispering the same promises into each other’s skin as now, and then they’d lie there, bodies satiated, and they’d carefully pick up their conversation about a second adoption. 

Baekhyun could see it all play out like that, and knowing this much was in store for them made his heart explode in his chest. He leaned back, forcing his boyfriend to look at him, and when their eyes met he could see all his hopes and dreams inside the chocolate brown orbs watching him. 

They were endgame, like Jongin had said, and the realisation of it made Baekhyun feel so calm it felt as if he was floating in water so quietly it didn’t even ripple. 

Yet he didn’t want to stay so still, he wanted to feel the burning flames of love pricking at his skin, wanted to have his breath be snatched away because nothing felt better than choking on desire, and so he pushed up into another kiss. 

Chanyeol didn’t falter, as if he could read Baekhyun’s mind and felt exactly the same, and they kissed as though nothing else existed. As if the world had stopped around them, keeping them trapped in this moment together, and neither would change anything about it. 

It truly felt like his life had become a fairytale, where he got the prince and the princess and this was true love’s kiss tying them together for all eternity.

Chanyeol was his happily ever after, and with a future as bright as theirs, nothing could ever kill their flame. 

\- THE END -

  
  
  
  
  
  



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